Murder accused was the last person to see victim alive, court told
Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney told a court today that a man accused of murder was the last person to see the victim alive.Kevin Warner is accused of murdering Dekimo Martin and during closing arguments today Mr Mahony told the Supreme Court jury: “Your task is to return a true verdict on the evidence. Nothing more, nothing less. Your task is to ensure that the innocent is not convicted for offences they didn’t commit.“Likewise your task requires you to convict the guilty for the offences that they have committed. No more, no less, no sympathy, no prejudice. You act on the evidence and always remember this: Judas was one of the 12.”Mr Mahoney reminded the court of evidence presented by the victim’s cousin Chelsy Lewis, who said she heard Mr Warner and Mr Martin talking outside alone right up to the gun shots.He recalled evidence by Charlita Campbell who said she talked with the defendant the night after the shooting and he told her people suspected him to be murderer because he was the last one to see Mr Martin alive.“From the accused’s own mouth he puts himself as the last person to see Dekimo Martin alive just like the other witnesses have been saying,” added Mr Mahoney.The prosecutor questioned why the accused, a frequent visitor to the victim’s home on Peacock Crescent, in Somerset, failed to make contact with the victim’s family after the shooting and “suddenly went off the radar”.“Don’t you find it a bit curious when he went to Charlita Campbell’s premises he said how the family believed he did it. How [did] he knew that? He had no contact with them, how did he know that? “Mr Mahoney said evidence by Miss Lewis was that Mr Warner was “acting a little weird”; and while they would normally exchange hugs, he was distant and “didn’t seem like the same Kevin”.The court previously heard that there didn’t appear to be any anger between Mr Martin and Mr Warner that night and they greeted by pumping fists.The prosecutor said: “Do you really need animosity for someone to despise you or to have ulterior motives [intended] for you? You can’t see their thoughts or their hearts. So do not pay any mind to that.“You remember Cain and Abel? I am sure there was no animosity towards them when they went out in the field and [Cain] killed him.”Mr Mahoney also questioned why the defendant had not driven his bike up to the house, like he normally did, and left it down a different road.“It was a brand new bike and [people] do not joke to steal brand new bikes in the Bermuda of today. You move it from the safety of a family friend’s to place it in some off deep location?”He questioned why some compounds present in gunshot residue were found on Mr Warner’s bike handle and said Mr Warner was the only rider late that night and the next day.Defence lawyer Kim Hollis QC has represented Mr Warner throughout the eight-day trial, which charges him with premeditated murder and carrying a firearms to be used in connection with an indictable offence.Mr Warner, who has denied the charges, opted not to take the stand yesterday and no witnesses were called for the defence.Ms Hollis said the “golden thread” of the criminal justice system was that it was the prosecution’s duty to prove their case.“Kevin Warner does not have to prove his innocence. He is entitled to stay in the dock and say: ‘you say I was responsible for shooting my friend Dekimo whose family was like a second family. You say I did that you prove it’. “She said it was up to the jury to decide if her 21-year-old client is “really that clever and capable of thinking ahead in that way” to have planned the murder.Ms Hollis pointed out that Mr Warner had volunteered to hand himself in to the police. “There was no attempt by him to run of hide at all, was there?”According to evidence by both Ms Campbell and Mr Warner’s motherly figure Inez Dill, he “cried and cried and was extremely emotional about the death of Dekimo Martin”.“Was it an act that he managed to sustain for five hours [while talking with Ms Campbell] or was it genuine?,” asked Ms Hollis.The case continues before Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves.
