Two brothers today pleaded guilty to killing a man six years ago.
Stuart Kenny McMillan Harewood, 36 and his brother Scott Harewood, 34, of Seaview, St Philip pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Dereck Hunte of Lynches, St Philip who was shot six times.
In reading the facts today before Justice Pamela Beckles, Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney related that on June 3, 2014 between 2- 2:30 p.m., Hunte and others were in an area in Lynches called The Block.
While there, Stuart showed up driving a white Honda motor car and sometime after had a conversation with Hunte. The latter told Stuart that he disliked him and reminded him of a previous incident where Stuart hit him with a rock while he was riding in Wellhouse, St Philip. The two argued before Stuart got back into his car and drove away.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned driving the same car, got out, walked up to Hunte and continued the argument. Stuart removed a gun from his pocket and fired a shot in the air. The two scuffled before Stuart pointed the gun at Hunte. The six witnesses present who gave statements to police, said they heard a loud click but the firearm did not discharge. The scuffle continued and Hunte held Stuart around the throat while Stuart begged to be released. Hunte acceded to the request and Stuart again retreated to his car and drove off, angry.
Between 3-3:30 p.m. witnesses said they saw a silver pickup arrive in the area. Scott jumped out of the back while Stuart exited the passenger side. Hunte got up from where he was and began to run and Stuart picked up a bottle and threw it at him. Scott chased him, through a track and fired four to five shots at Hunte.
A witness who said he saw Scott with a gun, also said he saw the two return to the pickup truck and drive away.
Dr Ross Herbert pronounced Hunte dead at the scene around 6:11 p.m.
Investigations led police to the owner of the pickup truck, a freighter, who revealed that the brothers told him they had a transporting job to do. The owner drove the two to the “job” and when he got to The Block one brother told him “Stop, stop, stop the things back here” and he braked suddenly. He said the two left the vehicle and ran toward the block. He begged them to return to the truck.
He said he heard three or four loud explosions and started to drive off but Scott got back into the vehicle and shouted ‘My man what is that you now do? You trying to get we caught up’. The brothers both got back into the vehicle and told the driver to let them out at a particular area.
The driver then went straight to the District “C” Police Station and reported what happened. Witnesses identified the brothers as the shooters, calling them by their nicknames.
Stuart was arrested and taken into custody where he was interviewed. His answers to the questions about the deceased and the incident were ‘No comment’.
Four witnesses identified Stuart at an identification parade as being involved in the matter.
Scott was taken into custody days after his brother and was also subjected to a police interview.
“I ain’t shoot nobody,” Scott maintained throughout. The following day the interview continued. Scott did not give a written statement but told police about the happenings of June 3, 2014.
“That day my brother call me and tell me he had something with Benny (Hunte)? When he and he had fight and when he went to shoot he gun wouldn’t go off…My brother say he ain’t tekking no disrespect from Benny and I agree with he and I asked *** to drop me and he back up the road in Lynches to sort out this thing with Benny.
“When we get back up there I saw Benny and I tell he I want to talk with him about the scene with my brother. Benny tek out a knife and walk toward me and I went back in the van and tek out the gun and point it at Benny and tell he I want to talk to he and then he run at me with the knife and then I shoot at he and then I run off and he run off too,” Scott told police.
When asked how he knew the gun was in the van Scott said: “I see my brother with it and the plan was to defend he self with it.”
He said he did not know what happened to the knife. The prosecutor said no knife was recovered and witnesses did not recall seeing a knife on the day. Scott, who was also identified in an ID parade, said he carried the gun to his father.
A post mortem examination on Hunte revealed six gunshot wounds to his body.
Scott is being represented by attorney-at-law Safiya Moore while his sibling has Michael Lashley Q.C. as his lawyer.
The brothers will return to the No. 5 Supreme Court on December 2. A pre-sentencing report, time spent on remand and antecedents will be read into the record then.
