By Onika James Thursday, October 22 2009

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MURDER ACCUSED: Quincy Samuel, whom police officers testified they saw running from the apartment where Esan Faria was found murdered on December 29, ...

An Ag Police Corporal yesterday testified he was “positive” murder accused Quincy Samuel was the same man he saw “running out” of the apartment, in which Esan Faria was discovered shot and killed.

Faria, 31, a security officer who also plied his private car for hire, was murdered at his home, during the early hours of December 29, 2005, at Poinsettia Drive, Morvant.

Samuel was arrested January 1, 2006, in connection with the incident. Yesterday, under cross examination in the Port-of-Spain Second Assizes, defence attorney Theodore Guerra SC, put it to Ag Cpl Simeon James, that “the man” he saw “running out of Apt #4, at Poinsettia Drive, Morvant, was not Samuel.”

However, James held firm and said, “ I am positive it was him. I have known him for ten years.”

Guerra tried a second time to punch holes into James’ evidence, but again the police officer stuck to his account of the night in question.

“Let me put it to you Cpl James, that the accused Qunicy Samuel was nowhere on those premises,” Guerra stated.

“That is not true. I am positive it was him,” James firmly replied.

“I am putting it to you that you are making an honest mistake,” Guerra said.

“No sir, I have known Quincy Samuel for too long to make a mistake,” James calmly responded.

James was one of three officers who were on mobile patrol in the Morvant area on the night Faria was killed.

According to the State’s case which is being led by Tricia Hudlin-Cooper, James, along with Police Sgt Mc Millan, and Police Constable Prince responded to information when they heard two loud explosions. A short while later they saw the accused, whom they had known before, run out of an apartment. The officers called out to him, “Quincy stop.” He fired at the officers. They then returned fire, and he ran through some bushes. They went to the apartment which he (Qunicy Samuel) had exited, and found Faria, a security guard, lying face down in a pool of blood. Checks revealed he had a bullet wound to the back of the head.

Samuel was arrested two days later, after officers found him hiding under a bed at a house in Blitz Village, Pleasantville.

In addition to Ag Cpl James’ account of the incident, Sgt Frank Mc Millan also testified yesterday that, Samuel was the man who “ran out the apartment,” a short while before Faria was found fatally shot.

In his evidence, Mc Millian said, “I parked in the vicinity of Geranium Drive. Cpl James, and PC Prince alighted from the vehicle, and walked slightly ahead. I came out about three seconds later, and walked slowly behind them. Suddenly I heard two loud explosions. James was standing in front of the Apartment Building #10, and Prince was standing in front of the stairway. I heard James shout, “Quincy stop. Police.”

Mc Millian recalled that “about two seconds after,” the person James was talking to came into his sight.

“I saw the accused Quincy Samuel. I saw him come down the steps and onto the landing on the platform. I have known him for more than 15 years. I would see him liming by the road, the gas station, and other places. Sometimes we would stop and talk with each other. We had a good relationship,” Mc Millan related.

Hearing resumes at 9am today.