Prosecutor asks jury to reject defence testimony in Hamilton murder case

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator

Senior Director of Public Prosecution Lisa Palmer Hamilton has asked the jury to reject the evidence given by a defence witness that he had heard of a plot to frame ex-constable Rushon Hamilton for the murder schoolgirl Jhaneel Goulbourne.

The Crown is alleging that Hamilton abducted and murdered the 14-year-old girl after learning that it was reported that he had sexually assaulted her.

While addressing the jury this morning, Palmer-Hamilton described as an insult to the jurors’ intelligence, the evidence given by the witness who is prisoner.

She said that the fact that no blood was found on Hamilton’s clothes or in his motor vehicle was not an indication that the crime was not committed.

She instead asked the jury to focus on the argument of the Crown which had a burden to prove its case.

The prosecutor also said Hamilton tried to justify giving an unsworn statement and she agreed with him that it was his constitutional right.

She pointed out that Hamilton said he gave an unsworn statement because if he had gone into the witness box he would have been subjected to a “question and answer” session with the prosecution.

But Palmer-Hamilton also said the ex-cop had competent lawyers to protect him.

In the meantime, she has also asked the jurors to accept the evidence given by the witnesses that Hamilton confessed to the murder when he was in custody.