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Richard Shamario Worrell, accused of the 2014 murder of Josiah Clairmont, allegedly confessed to the crime in a written statement, according to police. However, one of his attorneys has objected to this confession, claiming it was obtained through “threats and violence”.
Worrell, 34, of Derriston Road, Grazettes, and Andre Clyde Cave, 46, of Fairfield Cross Road, Tudor Bridge, both from the same parish, are charged with Clairmont’s murder on February 15, 2014.
As the trial continued in the No. 5 Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, defence attorney Sade Harris, representing Worrell alongside King’s Counsel Michael Lashley, raised objections to several statements made by Worrell, including his written confession, as Acting Assistant Superintendent Fred Catwell testified.
Catwell told the court that, after Worrell was informed of his rights to contact a lawyer, he expressed a desire to reach out to his previous lawyer, Arthur Holder, which he was allowed to do. Half an hour later, after being reminded of his right to consult an attorney again, Worrell responded: “I already call my lawyer. He is coming here to talk to me. I willing to talk to you without my lawyer present.”
At this point, Harris objected “on the basis that this [statement] was made under threats, violence and other behaviour meted out to the accused man while he was in custody”.
Questioned by Principal State Counsel Krystal Delaney on his and other police officers’ behaviour towards the accused, Catwell stated, “No threats, force or violence was used towards the accused Richard Worrell to obtain this statement or any statement.”
The police witness went on to explain that Worrell had confessed, saying, “Sir, things just get out of hand. I shoot Josiah. I wasn’t even sure he get shoot until about three hours after, I get a message that Josiah dead.”
Harris raised the same objection to both the oral statement and the three-page written statement, which was read into evidence.
In the account, Worrell stated that on the night in question, he received a call from a man who told him that Clairmont had put a gun in his hand. He went to Fairfield, saw Clairmont sitting in front of a house and asked Dark Man to help him take the gun away from the deceased.
“Me and Dark Man approach Josiah, and I confront he about the gun. I tell he give me the gun. I had a firearm, and I pointed my firearm at him. Dark Man hold on to he shirt and I hold on to he pants waist. Then Andre come and then (a woman) come and she was trying to pull away Josiah from me and saying ‘stop’. She went inside to call the police. Andre lash Josiah on he knee with a rock, and Josiah say he got the gun stash.
“After he tell we that, I carry he by the track and after he get by the track, he say Rayside deal with the thing. Andre stop back and talk to Rayside, leaving me and Josiah in the track, and we start to scuffle. He get away and run through Gaskin Road and I shot him. He run down the gap and I run behind him. I did not run very far and he got away. I come back up the gap to where I fired the shot, and I search for the shell. I found it and throw it down a well at the bottom of Gaskin Road. About three hours later, I receive a message on my phone that Josiah dead. From there, I leff the area the same night and went to a party in Speightstown. I did not know where Dark Man and Andre went from there. I give the firearm I had to Andre Cave after the scene,” the statement concluded.
During the cross-examination, Catwell denied that he and another officer had pressured Worrell to speak without an attorney. The police witness also said that he and the accused had a good rapport throughout the process.
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