Murder accused tells court he had no intention of killing man

Murder accused Runako Lee Omar Husbands said it was never his intention to shoot or harm Terrence Phillips on August 12, 2011, only to protect himself.

Husbands, of No 1 Chapel Gap, Paynes Bay, St James, made the comments on Wednesday in an unsworn statement from the prison’s dock of the No. 2 Supreme Court.

He is on trial before Justice Randall Worrell and a jury accused of killing Phillips. Phillips died as a result of hemorrhagic shock caused by a gunshot wound to the chest, according to a postmortem.

After asking the judge for permission to read from a prepared statement he had on his cellular phone, Husbands said: “The gun went off when we were struggling for Papa T’s gun. I did not have a gun on that day. I did not intend to shoot or harm him. I was frightened and trying to protect myself.”

The accused went on to point to the jury and the court two pictures that were submitted into evidence during the trial. He explained where the alleged struggle took place, among other things.

“Papa T ran in this direction and I rode my bicycle in the other direction. So at no time I was chasing him or running him, Sir or firing shots at him,” Husbands said.

“Everything happened so fast . . . .” 

His attorneys Angella Mitchell-Gittens and Kristen Vanderpool will continue to put their case to the judge and jury on Thursday.

The prosecutors in the matter are Senior State Counsel Oliver Thomas and State Counsel Anastacia McMeo.