Witness: Cop used building block to sink teen's body

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator

A policeman who is on suspension testified today that in October 2008, he was in a cell with police constable Rushon Hamilton, when he heard him confessing twice that he killed 14-year-old Jhaneel Goulbourne.

The witness was speaking at the murder trial of the policeman in the Home Circuit Court.

He told the court that he heard Hamilton telling an Indian man in the cell that he took the child out to sea, killed her and then threw the body in the sea.

The witness said he also overheard him saying that he had used a building block to sink the body.

The policeman also said that on another occasion, he also heard Hamilton telling another man the same thing but that the teenager was begging each of the men not to kill her.

He also said at some point someone told Hamilton that Goulbourne’s body was found and Hamilton responded by saying that he was 99.9 per cent sure that the body would not be found.

The witness also testified that Hamilton said that his girlfriend would not let him down and had washed his bloody clothes.

Hamilton has been on trial since last week.

He was charged with carnal abuse in 2008, after the teenager reported that Hamilton sexually assaulted her at the Elletson Road Police Station.

A few weeks after the report was made Goulbourne was abducted from her gate.

The body has not been found and the Crown is alleging that Hamilton murdered the girl.

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