‘It wasn’t me’

Not only did he maintain that he was not at the scene of a drug bust, but Adrian Fitzgerald Bradshaw claimed in court on Friday that police officers were colluding to put him behind bars.

He made the suggestion while cross-examining Police Constable Markinson Chandler whom he accused of being part of the supposed conspiracy.

Chandler was back on the witness stand in the No. 2 Supreme Court where the weapons and drugged trial of Bradshaw and co-accused Brian Barry King continued.

Bradshaw and King are jointly charged with possession of a .357 revolver, a .22 revolver and a 9 mm pistol along with 678 rounds of ammunition on September 15, 2016, as well as possession and trafficking 37.9 kilogrammes of cannabis.

In giving evidence the day before, PC Chandler told the court that Bradshaw evaded capture by police in Blades Hill No. 2, St Philip, by running over a cliff and through a gully.

But Bradshaw insisted he was never at Blades Hill on that date.

He told the court that Chandler was among several police officers out to get him.

“I am putting it to you that you are part of a police collusion against [Adrian] Bradshaw because of my missing nephew and an article involving me which was in the newspaper,” he told the police constable who denied the suggestion.

“Why is it that you want to get [Adrian] Bradshaw so bad?” he further questioned.

Bradshaw also took issue with statements made by Chandler which he contended were different to those made on the witness stand.

He pointed out that in Chandler’s statement, the police constable said he recognized him before he turned around but on the witness stand he said he had identified Bradshaw after he looked in his direction.

The accused further suggested to Chandler that he reached Blades Hill No.2 around 6 p.m. and not 4:30 p.m. as he had previously stated, and that the area was not well lit.

The police constable denied those suggestions.

Bradshaw also suggested to PC Chandler that the first time he ever saw him was when he was apprehended at De Nest Bar and Hideaway in Maxwell on the night of September 15, 2016.

Also taking the stand were senior forensic scientist and Head of Chemistry at the Forensic Centre, Marsha Skeete, and Acting Inspector Vernon Farrell.

Skeete, who was treated as an expert witness, testified that on September 20, 2016, she received a sealed evidence bag containing five transparent plastic bags. She said those bags contained vegetable matter.

Skeete said she tested and analyzed those bags and the vegetable matter was identified as cannabis.

Acting Inspector Farrell told the court he went to Blades Hill No. 2 on September 15, 2016, and conducted investigations.

He said while there, units went on two separate routes and he saw the accused King and a silver Isuzu van parked with several white bags in the rear seat.

Farrell said he was directed to a hill overlooking a gully.

He said he also travelled to De Nest Bar and Hideaway later that night where he saw Bradshaw.

The officer said Bradshaw appeared to have injuries to his elbow, shin and knee.