State and defence attorneys in verbal clash during murder trialBy Onika James Wednesday, October 14 2009
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WAR OF WORDS: Defence attorney Wayne Sturge left, and State Prosecutor Jeron Joseph had several run-ins in the Carlos Campos murder trial yesterday. ...
A war of words erupted yesterday as State and defence attorneys clashed during the Carlos Campos murder trial, in the First Criminal Assizes, following a charge by the defence that one of the State’s witnesses “was hiding evidence.”
Campos is accused of the fatal shooting of Godfrey Henry aka (Rattle), while he was standing at the front of the Port-of-Spain State Prison, on February 28, 2005.
Attorney Wayne Sturge, representing Campos yesterday began his cross-examination of former Police Inspector, Christopher Holder.
During the cross-examination Sturge suggested to Holder he “was hiding the criminal record of the deceased.”
The suggestion prompted an immediate response from State prosecutor Jeron Joseph, who strongly objected to Sturge’s line of questioning.
“My Lord, that question was most improper. The complainant did no such thing. It was the responsibility of the State attorney who prosecuted the case at magistrates’ court to disclose that information. That was an unfair suggestion to put to the witness. My Lord, please ask counsel to withdraw the remark,” Joseph requested.
Sturge refused, causing several heated exchanges between himself, and Joseph in the presence of the jury.
Justice Herbert Volney was forced to intervene on several occasions, as he attempted to restore calm.
However, Joseph became incensed soon after, and complained that Sturge had “invited the witness to speculate, and give hearsay evidence.”
Volney upheld Joseph’s objections, and asked Sturge to move on.
The directions from the judge did little to quell heated tempers between the two attorneys.
However, the anger dissipated a bit, and Sturge moved on with his cross-examination.
Holder, who laid the charges against Campos, now resides in Canada. He was flown in last week at the State’s expense to testify in the trial. In his examination in-chief, Holder put in several exhibits, including the post mortem report of Henry, and the statement Campos gave to the police. The autopsy showed that Henry died from multiple gunshot wounds. Three bullets were recovered from his body.
On Monday last, the State called former police officer Roland Mc Farlane, who now teaches at the University of Louisiana.
In his evidence, he told the court that, after he spoke with prisons officers, he proceeded along Victoria Avenue and observed the accused, Campos, walking. He said, he drove alongside Campos and asked him to stop.
Campos replied “boss me ent do nothing,” and ran off.
Mc Farlane said, he chased the accused to Phillip Street. He testified that Campos pulled out a firearm. He and other officers later subdued the accused and took him to the police station.
In addition, Mc Farlane testified that upon searching Campos they found “seven rounds of ammunition in his right pocket, and one round in the chamber of a 7.65 Walter pistol.”
Defence attorney Evans Welch suggested to Mc Farlane that he “did not find any ammunition, only a gun” in his client’s pocket.
However, Mc Farlane vehemently denied the suggestion.
Hearing will resume Friday.
