Shawn Orlando Crookendale on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the murder of Anthony Layne, joining two other accused who have already confessed, while the trial of the remaining defendant, the victim’s brother, continues in the Supreme Court.
Attorney Sade Harris, who along with co-counsel Elan Greenidge represented Crookendale, asked for her client to be re-arraigned moments before the trial resumed in the No. 3 Supreme Court.
The plea was accepted by Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Krystal Delaney.
Justice Carlisle Greaves then remanded the Skeetes Road, St Michael resident in custody, ordered a pre-sentence report and a time-served record before scheduling sentencing for December 4.
St Philip residents Oshea Kai Greenidge of Ruby and Ade Omotunde Blackman of River Land have also confessed to Layne’s murder on June 4, 2020.
The trial of the remaining accused, the deceased’s brother, Jason Ricardo Layne of Leadvale, Christ Church, then proceeded, with several statements being read by the prosecution team of Delaney, acting Senior State Counsel Anastacia McMeo-Boyce and State Counsel Kwame Ramsay.
One of those statements was that of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Dr Ross Herbert, who said that after arriving at Leadvale, Christ Church, he was escorted to a parked motor car and saw the motionless, bloodstained body of an adult male slumped on the driver’s side.
The doctor’s statement read: “On close examination there were no breath sounds, no heart sounds and no pulse. Death was pronounced by me at 12:55 hours that same day.”
The jury of ten women and two men also heard the statements of two civilian witnesses, one of whom told police that he had a Suzuki Baleno, which was registered at the Licensing Authority but, after getting into an accident, the vehicle was sold off mainly in parts. He, however, retained the registration number and stored the plates in his shed.
In his statement, the witness said he was at home on June 6, 2020, when police officers came and told him they were investigating a case in which his registration number plates were used. He explained that he still had his number plates and showed them to the police. He agreed to be taken to the police station and was shown several photographs showing plates with his numbers. The witness told police that he had never given anyone permission to use the registration number, the number plates or to have a plate made with his number.
In her account, a woman in her 70s told police she owned a Nissan with a registration sticker from the Licensing Authority on the back licence plate. Her statement outlined that she had driven to church on March 4, 2020 but after the service, the engine would not start, which led her to contact her mechanic ‘Ricky’ to have him look at it. She then got a ride home with another church member. A few days later, he called to say the car had been checked, but the fuel pressure filter was not working, so he had the vehicle moved by wrecker to his shop. Because of COVID-related shipping delays, she was unable to get the part.
The retiree’s statement read: “On Monday, June 6, I was at home when two police officers dressed in plain clothing came and inquired about the whereabouts of my car. I told them that my car was at Ricky’s workshop, which had been there since March. They then informed me that they had a registration sticker from my car at the station and were carrying out an investigation. I later accompanied them to the shop and pointed out my car to them. I made a check of the rear licence plate and realised that the registration sticker, which expires in 2020, was missing. I last saw the registration sticker on my car when I left the car at the church,” the retiree’s statement read.
The trial continues on Thursday.
(JB)
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