Some charges against police officers dismissed

The trial of Police officers Sergeant Julius Morgan and Constable Orlando Collins came to a close on Monday, at the Serious Offences Court, after five months of lengthy testimony from witnesses for the prosecution and defense.{{more}}

The two police officers are charged in connection with the shooting of another police officer, Corporal Milford Edwards, on December 5, 2012 at Rose Place.

Morgan and Collins will learn their fate on October 25, 2013.

On September 6, Chief Magistrate Sonya Young ruled in favour of no-case submissions put forward by the men’s lawyers in relation to some of the charges laid against them.

Morgan’s charges of unlawful and malicious wounding, conspiracy to defeat the course of justice and acting in a manner so rash or so negligent as to be likely to cause harm to a person were struck out, leaving him to answer to the charges of unlawful discharging of firearm and excessive force.

Collins still has to answer to the charges of wounding, excessive use of force and unlawful discharging of a firearm. He was freed of the charges of acting in a manner so rash or so negligent as to be likely to cause harm to a person, and conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.

Counsel Ronald Marks and Duane Daniel represent the men in the matter.

Both accused were jointly charged with PC 45 Adrian Forde. However, on June 25, 2013, Forde was discharged following a submission by his counsel Kay Bacchus-Browne that there was no evidence to support the charge.

Forde was charged with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.

On December 5, 2012, police received an anonymous tip that a drug operation was being carried out on the beach at Rose Place, popularly known as Bottom Town.

While responding to the report, Corporal Edwards, a member of the Narcotics Unit (Drug Squad) was shot in his upper right arm.

Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams led the Crown’s case. (KW)