Dreamchaser murder trial starts

The murder trial of the man accused of shooting and killing a security guard onboard a party vessel three years ago got underway today.

When he was arraigned today before Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court, Rommel Cummins, 30, of Vauxhall No. 2, Christ Church, pleaded not guilty to murdering Dave Archer on June 10, 2019.

Archer, who was 32 years old at the time of his death, was working as a private security guard on the MV Dreamchaser when he was gunned down around 10:35 p.m.

Senior State Counsel Neville Watson is appearing on behalf of the State while attorney-at-law Angela Mitchell-Gittens is representing Cummins.

Three witnesses took to the stand today; police constables Duane Alleyne and Nicole Taylor who took photographs of the scene, and Sergeant Carlos Lindo of the Forensics Scenes of Crime Unit.

Lindo told the 12-member jury that when he arrived on the boat he saw a cartridge and a bullet which he took to ballistics to be examined.

He said he also took a sample of what appeared to be blood stains from the floor of the vessel.