Witness quizzed over gang connections

Cayman News | 21/04/2016 | 0 Comments

Justin Ramoon (far left) and Osbourne Douglas escorted by prison officers as the court visits the scene of Jason Powery’s murder

(CNS): The crown’s key witness in its case against Justin Ramoon and Osbourne Douglas for the murder of Jason Powery last summer denied being a gang member or having a gun when he was questioned by Sean Larkin QC, Ramoon’s defence attorney, Tuesday. Jerome Hurlston, who testified that he saw Ramoon shoot Powery in the face, told the court that he was aware of rumours in the aftermath of the killing that he and Justin Ebanks, another crown witness in the case, and a man he called “Deevo” were the potential killers.

As he was cross-examined by the defence lawyers, Hurlston told the court that he had revealed what he knew because of “what your clients” told the police. Questioned about his gang associations and about him and his friends owning a firearm, he denied that he was part of a gang but admitted to being friends with a number of young men linked to various gangs, including the Birch Tree Hill gang.

Asked if Powery had owned an AK47, Hurlston said he didn’t know and denied having a gun himself, but added, “I might need one after this,” as he referred to giving evidence against Ramoon and Douglas.

He denied taking a gun from Powery’s body after the shooting and handing it to his friend, Justin Ebanks, to remove it from the scene.

Hurlston said that he had not gone to the police and had not intended to tell them anything because he did not like or trust the police. He said it was only when officers came to him implying that he may have had something to do with his friend’s death that he told them what he had seen. He also acknowledged that he was aware of a message that Powery had received on Facebook threatening his life but he did not know who had sent the message.

When Cheryl Richards QC, the director of public prosecutions, opened the case for the crown, she made it clear the prosecution was offering no motive for the crime, but as Larkin cross-examined the main witness in the case about that night, he pointed to a number of rumours and threats relating to Powery, who was a gang member, the lawyer suggested. Police had stated at the time that they believed Powery’s murder was gang related.

However, Hurlston told the court that he had no reason to fear that anything would be wrong that night when they went to George Town. He said that despite seeing Osbourne Douglas, who was armed with a gun, staring at him and his friends when they were at the Globe Bar before Powery was killed, he had no reason to imagine that Douglas or his brother would do anything to him or his friends because they were family to him.

Pressed about the events of the night, Hurlston denied covering up for any other killers and insisted that he had seen Ramoon kill Powery, despite being some distance away when the shooting happened. He said there was light from the street light and lights around the bar.

Before the cross-examination started, the court made a formal visit to the crime scene where the witness pointed out where he was during the night’s events and at the time of the shooting.