Police on trial for 15-year murder to know fate today

A police sergeant accused of killing a man at Jamaica's National Stadium 15 years ago is to hear Thursday whether the case against him will continue.

The accused, Sergeant Calvin Lewis, went on trial Wednesday before the Home Circuit Court. However, the matter ran into problems when the key prosecution witness admitted that he lied in his statement that he saw the policeman shoot his friend.

The Crown is facing another challenge as it was unable to locate another witness. Prosecutors asked trial judge, Justice Lloyd Hibbert, to give them until Thursday to locate the witness, failing which they will have to make a decision whether to go forward with the case.

Sergeant Lewis is accused of the murder of Pete Henry, a resident of Arnett Gardens in Kingston. Prosecutors led evidence that on April 22, 1998, Mr Henry was attending a football match at the Stadium, when he was fatally shot by the Sergeant.

However, the key witness testified that he lied in his statement when he reported that he saw when the policeman push his friend and then shoot him in the chest.

The witness, a resident of Arnett Gardens, told the court that he was told by persons in his community to lie on the police.