The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE teenager accused of murdering former Queen’s College elementary teacher Joyelle McIntosh in November 2015 said he was “sorry” and did not “mean to kill her” during his initial record of interview with police, Supreme Court jurors have heard.

Police Sergeant Jamal Evans, taking the witness stand before Justice Bernard Turner, said the teenager “appeared to have some remorse” when initially interviewed by himself on November 20, 2015 while at the Central Detective Unit (CDU).

“He said, ‘officer, I ain’t mean to kill her. I only shoot her like this,’” Sgt Evans told the court from the witness box. He said the teenager then proceeded to demonstrate with his hands how he shot the deceased on November 11, 2015.

According to Sgt Evans, the investigating officer in the matter, the teenager said he was with co-accused Johnny Mackey and Armando Sergeant on the night in question. Sgt Evans said the teenager said he had a firearm in his possession while on Parkgate Road, and that they wanted to carry out a robbery.

Sgt Evans said the teenager confirmed that Mackey lay down in the road, while he hid himself from view. The teenager said he saw a silver coloured car approach and subsequently slow down, and then used his hands to demonstrate how he shot at the car.

Sgt Evans said the teenager claimed he later learned a woman had died as a result of his actions, and said he was sorry for the incident. During the interview, Sgt Evans said the teenager appeared remorseful, and said he “wanted to get it off his chest”.

Before the interview, Sgt Evans said, officers made contact with a local pastor as well as a Social Services employee to sit in on the interview after several attempts failed to contact the teen’s mother.

Matrena Carey, the Social Services employee who sat in on the interview, said she witnessed an oral statement given by the teenager during the initial record of interview. She said while she couldn’t remember exactly what he said, the teenager indicated one of the people with him on the night in question lay down in the road, while he hid behind a “big tree”.

She said the teenager said he ended up shooting the deceased in the process of trying to take her car.

The testimonies by Sgt Evans and Ms Carey marked the end of the Crown’s case against the three accused in the trial concerning the 2015 crime.

In yesterday’s proceedings, the three accused each opted to waive their right to remain silent and take the witness stand, thus opening themselves up to questions from the Crown, the defence, the jury and the court if need be.

The teenager intends to call five witnesses to his defence, according to his attorney Sonia Timothy. Sergeant’s attorney David Cash said his client intends to call three or four witnesses, while Mackey intends to call no witnesses.

The trial continues today.

Yesterday proceedings were the latest in the murder trial of the fourth-grade teacher on the night of November 2015.

It is alleged the teenager, who was 17 at the time of the incident, along with Mackey and Sergeant, attempted to rob McIntosh at gunpoint of her 2009 silver coloured Toyota Corolla worth $6,000.

It is alleged that during the failed carjacking, the victim was shot multiple times in her head and body. She later crashed into a wall at the intersection of Parkgate and Village Roads and died of her injuries at the scene.

All three have denied the allegations.

Last week, however, Police Detective Sergeant Kendra Wallace said the teenager admitted to shooting the fourth-grade teacher when initially interviewed.

Det Sgt Wallace, who assisted Sgt Evans in the interviewing of the three accused, said the teenager made his initial confession to a Social Services employee in the presence of herself and the interviewing officer after alerting the officers that he needed to “get something off his chest”.

At the time, Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager, in speaking with the Social Services employee in the presence of both herself and the interviewing officer, said he felt bad about what he did and only did it because he wanted to steal the car McIntosh was driving.

Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager again confessed to committing the crime at the start of the actual record of interview, but denied participating in the interview process on the advice of his attorney.

Additionally, Det Sgt Wallace said the teenager’s co-accused, in their records of interview on November 18, 2015, told officers the teenager was the one who shot McIntosh.

Det Sgt Wallace said Mackey - was the individual lying in the middle of Parkgate Road on the night in question, thus causing McIntosh to swerve to avoid hitting him - admitted he did so but said it was because he caught a “cramp.”

Meanwhile, Sergeant, she said, admitted to having knowledge of the offence but denied shooting the deceased. According to Det Sgt Wallace, Sergeant said he saw when Mackey dropped to the ground and said he knew it would be a robbery.

As the car approached, he said the teenager approached and subsequently shot the deceased.

 The trial continues.