INDECOM wants guns retested in Keith Clarke murder

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) wants the guns of the soldiers involved in the Keith Clarke shooting to be retested.

Lead defence attorney Howard Hamilton made the disclosure this morning when the three Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers charged with Clarke’s murder appeared in the Home Circuit Court.

The accused – Lance corporals Greg Tinglin and Odel Buckley and private Arnold Henry – were charged in July following a ruling by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

This morning Hamilton did not say why INDECOM wanted the soldiers’ weapons re-tested.

In the meantime, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, says she was hearing about the development for the first time.

Llewellyn says she will now need to speak with the INDECOM Commissioner, Terrence Williams, on the matter.

Meanwhile in court today, Justice Jennifer Straw granted a request by attorney Linton P. Gordon for the soldiers to be released on weekends from confinement at Up Park Camp.

Gordon successfully appealed to Straw on the grounds that the sustained confinement of the soldiers since July has been affecting their families.

The men are to leave Up Park Camp on Fridays at 4 p.m. and return on Sundays at 6 p.m.

Keith Clarke was shot all over his body by members of the security forces at his East Kirkland Heights home in St Andrew in May 2010.

The security forces had reportedly gone to the area to search of then fugitive Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

A post mortem report had indicated that Clarke was shot 20 times, with the majority of the wounds located on his back.

editorial@gleanerjm.com