Video call

Video evidence was today admitted in the murder trial of Hakeem Roberto Stuart.

Sergeant Misheau Walcott, a digital forensic examiner at the Digital Forensic Lab, Regional Security System (RSS), took to the witness stand where he revealed that video footage, images and photos were taken from 11 locations at Sheraton Mall and its environs on the day Damian Trotman was gunned down in the popular Christ Church mall.

He was giving evidence as Stuart’s murder trial continued before Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court.

Stuart, 24, of Shelbourne Gap, St Lawrence, Christ Church, is accused of murdering Trotman on March 31, 2019.

Sergeant Walcott, an expert witness, testified that the video footage, images and photos were taken from several businesses at Sheraton Mall including Going Places Travel Agency, Digicel, First Caribbean Bank and Candy Palace.

Additionally, he said footage was also sourced from areas in Kendal Hill, Briar Hall, Graeme Hall, Sargeant’s Village, South Supplies and the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation. The Nation Newspaper also supplied photos.

Walcott said he was contacted by the Major Crimes Unit and afterwards went to obtain the footage and photos.

He explained that while some of the footage was modified to focus on the relevant timelines, some of the data did not have to be modified and was used in the original format.

Walcott said on completion he handed over the footage, images and photos to lead investigator in the case, Station Sergeant Dwayne Cumberbatch.

Under cross-examination from defense counsel King’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim, Walcott said he consulted Cumberbatch before making any edits to the video footage.

Cumberbatch, who is now an Inspector, also returned  to the witness stand today.

He said during the time Stuart was interviewed he was shown the video footage, images and photos. At no time did Stuart ever admit to being in the videos, images or pictures, the witness said.

Cumberbatch said when he asked Stuart if he knew anything about the person in the videos, images and photos, the murder accused declined to comment more often than not.

The senior police officer said Stuart responded freely when questioned and was not coerced in any way.

He said Stuart was in police custody for five to seven days and had visitors during that time.

According to Cumberbatch some of the videos and images showed a man in Sheraton Mall wearing a red shirt, red pants and red shoes, while in others it showed a man in a black hat, white long-sleeved shirt, red pants and red shoes.

A few of the videos and images also showed a man dressed in a black shirt, red pants and red shoes.

The video obtained from Going Places Travel showed a man in a white, long-sleeved shirt, red pants and red shoes pointing an object to the head of another man in Sheraton Mall and the man collapsed on the floor.

Cumberbatch said when he questioned Stuart in relation to that particular video he responded, “The body isn’t me that shoot.”

One of the photos obtained from the Nation Newspaper showed a man in a black hat, long-sleeved, white shirt, red pants and red shoes, running down the steps of Sheraton’s main entrance holding a black gun in his right hand.

The matter will continue on Monday when Pilgrim will cross-examine Cumberbatch.