By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A JURY heard testimony yesterday from a person who said they saw businessman Kurt McCartney being shot in the face and then rolled over by a Hummer in Gambier Village following an argument that turned physical.
The witness “AB”, who is under an anonymity order, spoke of seeing McCartney walking with two women, one of whom he appeared to be arguing. The arguing female signalled to a man who approached and shoved McCartney.
McCartney allegedly shoved the man back and the man pulled out a handgun and shot him in the face before fleeing into the bushes.
The women and another man got in the nearby Hummer and rolled over the grounded victim and headed towards the direction of West Bay Street, the court heard.
The witness’ evidence was not received without protest, however, as lawyers representing four of the individuals accused of the October 24, 2013 murder objected at various stages of prosecutor Roger Thompson’s examination of the witness.
Lyndera Curry, 21, Sumya Ingraham, 26, Thorne Edwards, 23, and Okell Farrington, 31, have been in custody since November 2013 awaiting trial concerning the murder and armed robbery of the brother of Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney.
A fifth person, Terry Delancy, the owner of Virgo Car Rental, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and is on $15,000 bail.
Ian Cargill is representing Delancy while Sonia Timothy represents Curry.
Ingraham, Edwards and Farrington are respectively represented by Romona Farquharson-Seymour, Terrel Butler and Philip Hilton.
The witness, whose voice was slightly distorted for the video link testimony given behind an opaque screen from an undisclosed location, was asked by the prosecutor yesterday if he knew someone by the name Thorne Edwards.
“Yes, for about three months,” the witness said.
Edwards’ lawyer, Terrel Butler, objected on the basis that the prosecutor was leading the witness.
“It’s not been established that he does,” the lawyer added.
Mr Thompson rephrased his questioning and asked the witness “how often you saw that Thorne Edwards?”
“I must object to this manner of questions,” Ms Butler said again as she rose to her feet. The objection was overruled and “AB” answered that he saw Edwards about “twice every two weeks.”
The witness also claimed to know Farrington, alias “Wern,” for six weeks prior to the night in question and saw him about three times.
“Do you know where he lives?” the prosecutor asked.
The key witness answered “Plantol Street.” The witness said Edwards resides there as well.
When asked about the night in question, the witness said: “I was in the area of Gambier by Last Man Standing Bar and I was sitting in my car, came out to buy a black and mild and a Guinness.”
The witness purchased the alcoholic beverage and returned outside.
The witness added: “I noticed two females walking with a gentleman towards Bay Street. One of the females and the gentlemen, it appeared as if they were arguing.”
“She turned around and signed to Thorne who came over and pushed the gentleman. The gentleman push him back and that’s when Thorne pull out a gun and shot the fellow,” the jury was told.
Mr Thompson asked the witness if he knew what the gun looked like. The witness said it could have been a 9MM pistol.
Continuing the testimony, AB said: “Thorne raised it towards the gentleman face and shot him.”
The witness said Thorne ran into bushes while “the two ladies hopped in the jeep with Wern and drove over the gentleman who was shot in the face, in the direction of West Bay Street.”
“What type of vehicle was it?” the prosecutor asked.
“It was an expensive model, a Hummer,” the witness said.
“Can you describe the two females you saw?” the prosecutor asked.
“At the time, one was dark, the other a light brown complexion. The dark one had braided hair,” the jury heard.
The witness said he saw those same individuals in November 2013 at the Central Detective Unit when he was giving information to the police concerning Kurt McCartney’s killing.
After further legal discussions held in the jury’s absence and a malfunction in the equipment allowing “AB’s” video-link testimony, Senior Justice Isaacs adjourned the trial to Thursday at 10am.
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