By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
A SUPREME Court jury was empanelled yesterday for the trial of twin brothers accused of kidnapping a woman and then pushing her out of a car when intercepted by police.
The trial of Desmond and Dominic Pinder, now 29, got underway yesterday moments after an eight-woman, one man jury was selected.
The two, who have denied the allegations, were scheduled to stand trial on July 23, but the court was unable to hear the matter before yesterday.
The pair face up to ten years in prison if convicted.
The court yesterday heard testimony from Corporal 2550 Jonathan Adderley and Corporal 3881 Archibald Miller, the two officers who reportedly gave chase after attempting to stop a silver coloured Honda Integra allegedly being driven by one of the brothers the wrong-way on Dunmore Street, early on the morning of June 21, 2015.
Both officers testified that shortly after encountering the vehicle, a chase followed after the driver of the vehicle refused to pull over.
Cpl Miller said it was at this time he made a note of the vehicle's licence plate and recorded it as 199506.
He said police pursued the car through several communities before losing sight of the vehicle in the area of Fritz Lane and Collins Avenue.
He said he and Cpl Adderley patrolled the area until coming across a vehicle fitting the same description in the area of Collins Avenue and Eighth Terrace.
Cpl Adderley, the driver of the police cruiser involved in the incident, said it was at this time he decided to impede the path of the silver Honda Integra by angling the cruiser across Collins Avenue.
Cpl Miller in his testimony said he used this opportunity to get out of the cruiser and physically signal to the Honda to come to a stop.
He said while standing in the street, he motioned to the driver of the car to halt. He said the driver refused and attempted to run him over.
Cpl Miller said in being in fear for his life, he withdrew his service weapon and fired three shots at the vehicle, none of which made contact with the vehicle.
The officer said the vehicle swerved to the east of the police car and evaded officers for a second time.
Cpl Miller said he returned to the police cruiser and he, with Cpl Adderley, gave chase.
Both officers testified they again encountered the vehicle in the area of Chesapeake Road.
Officers said an immediate search of the vehicle uncovered two Samsung cell phones, a pair of slippers and pantyhose that were found on the backseat.
During cross-examination, attorneys Keith and Calvin Seymour, who are representing the defendants, accused the officers of falsifying a report to implicate the brothers after they failed to apprehend the occupant/s of the vehicle they chased from Dunmore Street to the Collins Avenue area.
The attorneys further suggested the officers, upon losing sight of the vehicle they were chasing for a second time, traversed the immediate and surrounding areas until they stumbled upon a car that matched the description of the car they were looking for.
Justice Vera Watkins was the judge. The trial continues.
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