THREE friends killed in a hail of police gunfire in Barrackpore in 2011 were possibly unintended targets.

On July 22, 2011, best friends Abigail Johnson, 20, of St Mary’s Village, Moruga, Alana Duncan, 27, of Duncan Village, San Fernando, and construction worker Kerron “Fingers” Eccles, 29, also of St Mary’s Village, were gunned down by police.

Six police officers – Sgt Khemraj Sahadeo and PCs Renaldo Reviero, Glenn Singh, Roger Nicholas, Safraz Juman, Antonio Ramadin – are accused of murdering them.

On Tuesday, lead prosecutor Gilbert Peterson,SC, addressed the jury with his opening statement, which gave a brief synopsis of the evidence the State intends to lead from witnesses. Not all of the prosecution’s evidence will come in the form of testimony from witnesses. Some will be in the form of certificates, statements and video footage, he said.

[caption id="attachment_1025205" align="alignnone" width="966"] Gilbert Peterson S.C., - File Photo[/caption]

“Assess the evidence fairly...

“Your duty is to determine the facts in this case. It is the duty of the State to prove to you so you feel sure of the guilt of each person.”

He introduced the six men, who sat in the prisoners’ box in one of the courtrooms at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain, as police officers who were sworn to protect and serve.

The case was transferred from the San Fernando High Court after the defence complained that it could not be held at any of the new court facilities introduced by the Judiciary during the covid19 pandemic, since those were not provided for by law.

In June, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, agreed to the defence’s request to have the case tried in Port of Spain. Jurors were selected on Monday, and evidence began yesterday. Justice Carla Brown-Antoine is presiding.

[caption id="attachment_938668" align="alignnone" width="333"] Justice Carla Brown-Antoine. -[/caption]

Peterson said the three friends died of multiple gunshot wounds.

“You have to determine how these wounds were inflicted,” he told the 12 jurors and five alternates. Before the trial began, one of the jurors on the main panel was discharged because of work commitments.

Peterson said the events of July 22, 2011, began with phone calls from two senior officers to one of the six officers.

“From that conversation, events began to unfold.”

These events, he later explained, all surrounded a man by the name of Shumba James. He said the senior officers related that the police were “building a case" around James, who was allegedly wanted for three murders and possession of an illegal firearm.

Peterson said it was “interestingly curious” what happened to James that night.

James, he said, was no altar boy and was known to the police. He had a pending charge before the court which required him to report to the police station three days a week as part of his bail conditions. One of those days was a Friday, and on July 22, 2011, he did so minutes before 6 pm. He drove a white B15, and was with Duncan, who was his girlfriend