Gravesite gun find trial continues

As Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Chief Petty Officer Ryan Selby attempted to secure a Glock that dropped on a grave during a funeral in Westbury Cemetery on April 20, 2015, he was pushed and eventually lost his grip on the weapon.

This was part of the evidence read from his April 21, 2015 and May 20, 2015 statements of the incident as the gun trial of Akmal Teril Haynes of Spruce Street and Alana Nikita Crystal Nearvay of Ashby Alley, Nelson Street continued before a nine-member jury on Monday in Supreme Court No. 3. Haynes is also charged with assaulting Selby.

The statements of the former BDF personnel staff instructor were entered into evidence as Selby, who retired from the BDF in 2016, was deemed unable to testify by a medical doctor. His daughter Amanda Best appeared before the court with a letter from a medical professional explaining that the former soldier has since been diagnosed with dementia.

Before Selby’s statements were read, attorney for Haynes, Sian Lange asked Best if she had recognised any signs of early dementia in her father before 2016. She responded that she had.

In his re-examination, Principal State Counsel Neville Watson asked, “Up until his retirement, how was his mental condition?”

“Up until his retirement, I would say that it was pretty good. I didn’t see any signs up until when he retired,” she stated.

In his first account, Selby, who was on duty at the funeral of a former cadet on the day of the incident, said he was at the foot of the grave when Cadet Officer Lieutenant Stewart called to him and pointed to the ground, asking, “Is that a real gun?” He saw what appeared to be a Glock pistol and, upon closer inspection, said, “it was indeed a pistol”.

Selby said he picked up the firearm and sought to move it to a safe area.

“I proceeded to inspect the weapon with intentions to remove the magazine. At the same time, Cadet Officer Lieutenant Stewart came over to me. I stood up with the weapon held in my right hand with the nozzle pointing towards the ground, and while speaking to Cadet Officer Lieutenant Stewart, I felt a sudden push from behind, and at the same time, someone tugged my right hand. I made an effort to hold onto the weapon tighter, but at the same time, I felt a second push on my right side, and I lost control of the weapon and felt it leave my hand,” the statement read.

Selby did not see the person who “bounced” him or who took the gun from him.

He also identified the weapon, saying, “It was a black automatic Glock pistol. I recognise this weapon since I am trained in weapon handling, and my personal weapon while on duty is a Glock pistol.”

In his second statement, Selby went into further detail, describing that due to its weight, he knew the weapon was loaded, while admitting he had not taken note of the Glock’s model.

He tried to release the magazine, but it was stuck and seeing that the gun could not be made safe in that area, he started to move it to

a safe area but did not ask for any cadet officers to accompany him as he had not expected anything to happen.

Station Sergeant Ryan Eversley, who had been the lead investigator in the case, also gave evidence.

The trial is expected to continue on Tuesday.