Murder accused Jason Layne told police he had nothing to do with his brother’s death and had not paid anyone to kill him, the No. 3 Supreme Court heard.
Layne, of Leadvale, Christ Church, and Shawn Orlando Crookendale, of Skeete’s Road, St Michael, are on trial accused of murdering Anthony Layne on June 4, 2020.
Station Sergeant Cameron King told the court that, three days after Anthony’s death, he and another officer went to the deceased’s brother’s home based on information received and arrested him.
The witness said Jason was interviewed the following day and a statement was recorded.
In the lengthy document, the accused outlined some of his experiences with his older brother. He described how, when they were younger, the deceased would regularly get into fights with other people, and he would at times be drawn into them. He also gave officers an account of a fight between them during which the deceased went into his house and returned with two knives. The police were called.
The accused said that, as they grew older, he distanced himself from Anthony.
Layne told officers that on the date his brother died, he was at home weighing produce that he was selling while speaking on the phone to Oshea Greenidge.
He said: “I heard a loud pax, pax, pax, pax, pax, pax. These sounds sounded like gunshots, as if they were outside of my home. I ran to the window, and I saw people running up and down in a panic. I had a towel, and I went outside to the gate. The gate was tied up, and I walked towards another gate.
“I saw the woman who works in my mother’s shop outside of the fencing and I asked her what happened. She told me somebody now kill my brother. She walked to an area where people was and I walked behind her. I saw my brother car which is a dark grey or black Mitsubishi Lancer.
“I heard people saying ‘somebody now kill Bubba’… I went towards his car and I saw him. I cannot say what position his body was. I cannot remember if I saw blood on him. I stop where I was for about four minutes. I heard persons saying that they should run behind the man. People were screaming and panicking.”
In Layne’s account, he went back inside the house, told his younger brother not to go outside, called Oshea back to tell him what had happened, dressed and went back outside to the deceased’s motor car.
After police cordoned off the area, the accused told officers that he left home to look for Oshea as he had plantains for him. He went first to a mechanic’s shop and then along the highway in Newton, but did not find him.
He continued: “I had nothing to do with my brother’s death. I did not pay anyone to kill my brother. I do not know who killed and shot my brother. I do not know any tall rasta man from St Philip. The only person that I really know from St Philip well is Oshea.”
Layne is represented by attorneys Lesley Cargill-Straker and Kristin Vanderpool, while Crookendale is defended by attorneys Sade Harris and Elan Greenidge.
A 12-member jury is hearing the evidence before Justice Carlisle Greaves.
(JB)
The post Brother’s statement read in murder trial appeared first on Barbados Today.
