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on the roof of Building #5. All of the occupants of her house were called outside
and taken to an abandoned house nearby. Other residents were brought to this
house.
9.150.
Ms. Bryan said she witnessed soldiers bring Dean Spence and “fling
him in the corner”. They beat Spence’s father with guns. The residents begged
the soldiers not to kill them. Then the soldiers took the residents to Building #5.
Men were made to kneel. Police officers came and members of both forces beat
one “Thick Man” who started to bleed. His wife begged them to desist but she
was “boxed”.
9.151.
Under cross-examination by Ms. Taylor on behalf of INDECOM,
Ms. Bryan said that neither Mr. Spence nor “Thick Man” offered any violence to
the security forces.
FINDINGS
9.152.
Ms. Bryan was a good witness, calm and thoughtful. Her
evidence of conduct by the soldiers was not challenged by Counsel for
the JDF. We find that soldiers of the JDF beat Dean Spence’s father
and “Thick Man” and were abusive to residents. Ms. Bryan’s evidence
tended to corroborate Maurice Tomlinson’s (
infra
).
(e)
Maurice Tomlinson
9.153.
Mr. Tomlinson
(alias, Tikka or Thick Man)
lived at #1 McKenzie
Drive. He was at home on the morning of 24 May with his wife and children.
About 11.00 a.m. he heard gunshots from the direction of Lizard Town. He went
to his mother’s house at Building #5, Flat 23, Sangster Crescent and then
returned to McKenzie Drive where he gathered his family and returned to his
mother’s house on the 4
th
floor of the building.