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King Valley Gang Trial | Main witness to be recalled

Published:Friday | July 3, 2020 | 12:00 AM

Chief Justice Bryan Sykes today allowed the main witness in the trial of six alleged members of the Westmoreland-based Kings Valley Gang to be recalled following assertions by attorney-at-law Everton Bird that there were inconsistencies in his statements and that all evidence given to the court by him is hearsay. 

It is alleged that the witness, a self-proclaimed former member of the gang, whose name will not be used due to a court order, shared in one statement that he was not at the location when the house of a now-deceased member of the gang referred to as “Nah Laugh” was burnt down and his mother’s house shot up.

It was noted that in evidence provided to the court, the witness testified that he was there. 

“I wish to indicate to the court that counsel has stumbled on a statement that was given by (name removed) to superintendent (name removed), and the evidence in the statement is contrary to what was given about what happened at Cornpiece and Nah Laugh's house. 

“Any witness can be recalled. I come here this morning to ask the court to recall (name removed) to come back so I can put this document before him. This is the only opportunity I have to ask,” Bird said. 

A senior prosecutor in the case, who asked not to be named, refuted that the incidents referred to by Bird happened on different occasions and argued that nothing new would come from having the witness return to court. 

According to her, in one incident, the witness noted that his role was a lookout, and in the other incident, he was not at the location, but in another community. 

Bird, however, noted that based on the statement given, both incidents happened in the same community and in the same time period. 

Based on the uncertainty, Sykes made arrangements for the witness to return on Tuesday at 10:00 am. 

The former gangster will testify via video link at an undisclosed location. 

Lindell Powell, Carlington Godfrey, Rannaldo McKennis, Christon Grant, Derval Williams, Hopeton Sankey on trial for breaches of Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) 2014, commonly called the anti-gang legislation, in relation to crimes committed between 2016 and 2018.

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