Jamal Dyer case murder to be re-tried

A hung jury forced a re-trial for murder accused Jamal Dyer of Chateaubelair.

He is charged with the October 4, 2004 murder of Raphael “Scooby’ Trimmingham also of Chateaubelair.

You could hear a needle drop in the High Court last Thursday afternoon when the jury returned from its deliberation however the 12-member panel reported the inability to reach an unanimous verdict. The vote was seven to five.{{more}}

It is alleged that on the fatal morning when Trimmingham took his last breath, 21 year-old Dyer, left his home at about 12 midnight to attend a dance at the Blue Waters Disco in Chateaubelair.

When he arrived at the nightclub he entered and limed with his brother and some other friends when “Scooby” came by and allegedly stepped on him.

“After that happened, I eased back to the wall where the speakers were,” according to a statement by the accused who added that “Scooby” went outside and returned with a knife in his hand.

He said that the deceased stood in front of him and started cursing while he (Dyer) was moving away from him.

Minutes afterwards, Trimmingham raised his hands with the knife and Dyer held on to it.

He further stated that the deceased had bottle in his other hand and began hitting him with it.

Dyer said he was stumbling and fell, where he saw “Scooby” coming over him, that was when he pulled a pistol from his back pocket and fired shots at him.

After the incident, Dyer said he fled the scene and went home where stones and gunshots were fired at his house.

Having regard for his family’s safety, he ran to the back of the house and threw the gun in some bushes.

Trimmingham received three gunshot wounds, two to the abdomen and one in the chest.

In Dyers evidence to the court he said that he had a longstanding “beef” with the “cell block crew,” a gang of which the deceased was a part.

He told the court that the tension grew between him and “cell block” when they accused him of stealing marijuana from them.

He related a terrifying encounter claiming that “Scooby” and his “crew” kidnapped him, throwing him into a car trunk, but thanks to his mechanical knowledge he was able to escape.

The prosecution, lead by Sandra Robertson, said that the defendant went there to the club that night with the intention of wounding Trimmingham.

She said the defendant was held and shot at close range by Dyer.

Defense Attorney, Ronald Marks, said his client was acting in self-defense and had bad blood with the “cell block crew”.

Marks said that the disco had flashing lights and there would have been lots of movement.

He said that the main lights were only turned on when the body had fallen to the ground.

Marks added that his client had no reason to kill but it was “Scooby” and his “crew” who were upset with Dyer because of the marijuana dispute.

Marks dismissed the prosecution’s charge that Dyer shot “Scooby” at close range. He said he had to be on the ground shooting upwards because one bullet grazed the left side of his stomach and burst through his shoulder, the other bullet grazed the right side of his stomach and pierced his upper chest.