Former Police Officer and PLP backbencher Wayne Perinchief called on Bermudians to support Police Commissioner George Jackson.

Mr. Jackson spoke in the Bermuda Sun, yesterday, about the lack of witnesses willing to speak about killers in the community. He said that he believed there were perhaps four or five individuals — who should be tried for the killing of Aquil Richardson, Shuandae Jones, and Jason Lightbourne.

But, witnesses failing to come forward and testify meant his hands were tied. Mr. Perinchief, in the motion to adjourn, last night said he was sick to see the Island failing to stand behind their Police force.

And the former Police Officer said it was time for Bermudians to stand up and be men and rectify the problems on the Island.

He said: "Mr. Jackson was correct in the comments he made that the public are not supporting the Police. People need the Police and they get the Policing they deserve.

"If we are not willing to support our Police Commissioner then we get the justice or lack of justice we serve. Stand for what's right. Be a man. Stand up and take this country back." However, Mr. Perinchief also had strong words for former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall, whose court testimony in the Rebecca Middleton case was revealed in this paper on Wednesday.

Mr. Coxall felt so strongly about the miscarriage of justice suffered by the teenager's family that he gave evidence to a judicial review last year. And even as his evidence could be reported for the first time because the Middleton family's legal team shared the case file with this newspaper Mr. Coxall renewed his plea for the case, which he describes as "a moral and spiritual challenge to all of Bermuda", to be kept under continuous review.

Mr. Perinchief said he was upset by these comments, because Mr. Coxall was in charge of the Police Force at the time and should not be attacking the other officers. He said: "For a former Commissioner of Police to resort to the newspapers to castigate the Bermuda Police Service, all be it he was in charge for two years, he bears the responsibility.

"The man was in charge. He is quoted saying that he was not informed that the perpetrators were going to be charged with an offence. It was in 1996. He was in charge."