While murder accused Hakeem Roberto Stuart admitted to police he was at Sheraton Centre on the day Damian Trotman was fatally shot, he maintained he was not the person who pulled the trigger.
That was the evidence of lead investigator, Inspector Dwayne Cumberbatch who said Stuart gave a written statement indicating what had transpired on March 21, 2019.
Cumberbatch, who was a Station Sergeant at the time attached to the Major Crimes Unit, was on the witness stand as Stuart’s murder trial continued in the No. 3 Supreme Court before Justice Carlisle Greaves.
Stuart, 24, of Shelbourne Gap, St Lawrence, Christ Church, is accused of murdering Trotman on March 31, 2019.
Cumberbatch told the court that having received information about a shooting that took place at Sheraton Centre earlier in the day, he along with other officers went to Kendal Hill, Christ Church to the residence of Rico John at around 3:30 p.m.
He said on arrival he saw Stuart and told him that Trotman had been shot and killed at Sheraton Centre and based on information received he had reason to believe he was the person who killed him.
Cumberbatch said Stuart replied, “I ain’t do nothing sir.”
The police officer said a search was made of the house and a gold-coloured cellphone was found in one of the bedrooms. However, he said Stuart denied ownership of the cellphone.
Cumberbatch said he subsequently took Stuart to the Glebe Police Station to continue his investigations.
He said while there, Stuart was allowed to speak to his attorney-at-law Kamisha Benjamin who spoke privately with him for just over an hour.
The policeman said following the lawyer’s departure, the accused willingly gave a written statement that detailed his movements on the day in question.
He said in that statement Stuart revealed that in the company of his father he went to ScotiaBank’s Hastings, Christ Church branch to get a new ATM card.
“I left the bank and my father then dropped me to Sheraton Centre in Christ Church and left me there. I wanted to buy something to eat and I went to FirstCaribbean’s ATM and I took off $250 to buy something to eat. I then walked to the snack store besides the game store. I then went through the exit by Digicel which is by the food court and walked past the Olympus Theatre and walked up the one way entrance and turned left walking back and started walking down the hill to go to Briar Hall, Christ Church to meet a man named Pile,” Stuart said in the statement.
Cumberbatch said Stuart indicated that he never met Pile and asked someone for a phone call to call his friend Aziza for a ride.
“When I got by the pasture I waited there for a bit but I did not see Pile. I then saw Aziza pull up in her car and I got in the backseat because I was accustomed to sitting in the backseat.
“Aziza then drove down the highway as if she was going to Bridgetown and while she was doing this a police motorbike was behind us and he turned on the siren. Aziza said she could not stop because her insurance was out and I told her not to stop because I do not trust police.
“Aziza kept driving and the police on the bike kept chasing the car. Aziza turned into a dead-end road but I am not sure what the area is called. I got out of the car and ran away through a track in the back of where there are some big houses,” Stuart further wrote in the statement, adding that he took clothes from someone’s clothing line and changed what he was wearing.
In his statement Stuart said after going through the track he made his way to ‘John Doe’s’ yard and bought a drink and then sat down.
He said soon after police arrived, produced a warrant and began to search the house.
“During the search a silver and black gun was found in a bag and the police asked everyone who the gun belonged to. I told them the gun is not mine,” Stuart said in the statement. He said he was then taken into custody by police.
