Murder accused Prince Edness has admitted being a drug dealer but said he had no “beef” with gang members and did not shoot anyone.

Taking the stand during his trial at the Supreme Court yesterday, the 29-year-old told the jury he had “always stayed away from beef”.

“When it comes to any crew or any gang or posse, it’s always those who get involved in beef, conflicts, then people who deal with business,” he said, during questioning by defence lawyer Charles Richardson.

“I’ve always stayed away from beef. It’s always been about business, always been about making money.

“I know making money in an illegal way is wrong but that’s what I done. From a young age I sold marijuana.”

Mr Edness is charged with the premeditated murder of Jason Lightbourne, 18, who was shot dead on Ord Road at about 4am on July 23, 2006.

Prosecutors say the defendant worked with his friend Akil Williams, who died several weeks after Mr Lightbourne was killed.

The Crown alleges that Mr Lightbourne’s death was a revenge attack for the stabbing of an associate and was fuelled by a rivalry between two gangs — one from the Princess Street area of Hamilton, the other from the Ord Road area.

Shortly before the shooting, at 2.45am, the associate was admitted to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after being stabbed.

The victim’s mother, who cannot be named because of a reporting restriction, told the court last week that some of her son’s friends joined her at the hospital, including Mr Edness.

She said he left the hospital and later returned with Akil Williams on the back of his bike. But Mr Edness told the court he did not leave the hospital and that the witness “was not in her right frame of mind”. He said that before the shooting he had been on Princess Street “selling weed” and that Mr Williams had been there before leaving for a while — when he “must have” carried out the shooting. He said he later gave Williams a ride to the hospital.

Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney highlighted Mr Edness’s interview with police six days after the shooting, and how it differed from this testimony to the jury.

The defendant told police he had gone home to get changed at about midnight but received a call to say a friend had been hurt, so he returned to Princess Street at about 2.30am.

He told officers he was there for between 90 minutes and two hours talking with Mr Williams and a woman, then went to the hospital with Mr Williams and arrived there at about 3.50am.

Mr Mahoney noted that Mr Edness “lied” to the police by omitting that he had been selling marijuana, and that he had said Mr Williams had been with him, but was now saying he had left the scene and must have shot Lightbourne during that time.

Mr Mahoney asked why he had told the police that Mr Williams had been with him that night from 2.30am.

“I could have got confused, off with my times,” he said. “It doesn’t involve me in this crime though.”

Mr Mahoney said that “in no point in this [police] interview do you say that Akil left and came back to his house — because you’re lying”.

The prosecutor added that he had been “trying to set up an alibi” by saying he arrived at the hospital before the shooting in his police interview.

A police officer testified last week that Mr Edness did not arrive at the hospital until after 4am, after the shooting.

“You were lying,” Mr Mahoney said. “You said [today] you were on Princess Street, Akil left and did the shooting. You said you then left with Akil and went to the hospital.

“You said the shooting occurred before you arrived at the hospital, yet to the police six days after [the shooting], you told them that you and Akil arrived at the hospital before the shooting.”

Mr Mahoney suggested Mr Edness left the hospital, picked up Mr Williams, and they carried out the shooting.

“My time is off,” Mr Edness said. “It wasn’t me.”

The prosecutor said Mr Edness thought he was “so clever, like a strategist”, with his plan including talking to police at the hospital so they would remember he was there.

Mr Mahoney also suggested to Mr Edness that a tattoo on his neck was gang-related, and that he was the “business manager” for the gang, and a senior member.

“I wouldn’t say manager,” the defendant said.

“I sell weed in bulk. I used to sell a lot of marijuana. If you want to say senior, I was one of the oldest.”

Mr Edness also told the court that gunshot residue particles found on him must have been transferred to him by Williams. He said they had greeted each other but also fought after leaving the hospital, saying Mr Williams admitted his involvement in the shooting and had implicated the defendant by asking him to give him a ride.

Mr Mahoney suggested the particles were there because he was involved in the shooting.

“It had nothing to do with me,” Mr Edness said. “I had no involvement in this murder at all.”

The trial continues.

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding active court cases. This is to prevent any statements being published that may jeopardise the outcome of that case.