A prosecution witness who was accused of changing his statement seven times cried as he gave evidence yesterday at the Aaron Glen Easton murder trial.

The six woman, six man jury heard that Stanford Glenfield Archibald had visited Troy (Yankee Boy) Rawlins' apartment on the morning of May 3, 1985 when the deceased Aaron (Fish) Easton was bagging marijuana.

However, defence lawyer Mark Pettingill pointed out that in the first six statements Mr. Rawlins gave to the Police he had never mentioned Archibald. It was only in the seventh and last statement given last week that he mentioned that Archibald was at his house on May 3, 1985.

Archibald, 38, formerly of Sandys, denied killing Mr. Easton, who had been repeatedly stabbed and left to die in a pool if blood on May 4, 1985.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser said the case was based on circumstantial and DNA evidence.

The Supreme Court heard that Mr. Easton had often lived with Mr. Rawlins because his house was congested and they were best friends. Mr. Rawlins said he and Fish ran a drug business together.

“That morning Fish was sitting on the floor - we were doing a little business - he was bagging up some weed,” said Mr. Rawlins.

Mr. Rawlins said the money, which was in 20s, 50s and 100 dollar notes, amounted to $14,000, was in the black duffel bag, along with a container with little spoons and scales, a black leather pouch, cocaine and marijuana.

Mr. Rawlins said he first met Stanford Archibald on May 2 on Court Street in Hamilton, and they arranged for him to come to the house on May 3 to pick up some items for his brother, the late Rupert Elroy Archibald Jr., who was in prison at the time. Mr. Rawlins said he and Elroy were tight at the time.

Mr. Rawlins said when Archibald came to the house Fish had been sitting on the floor in front of the couch bagging weed and he was sure that Archibald would have seen what he was doing.

“We had eight ounces of weed, $14,000 in cash and cocaine,” said Mr. Rawlins.

He said after Archibald had left he and Fish went shopping in the late morning to early afternoon, they came back and watched a few movies, went to the Berkeley Institute fair, and returned to watched a few more movies while Fish smoked a joint.

He then got ready to go to the dance, but Fish wanted to stay in.

“As I was getting ready I heard someone come to the door, but I could not see them, but when I looked out the bathroom window I saw someone walking towards a blue car and then the car backed out of the drive,” said Mr. Rawlins.

He said Albert (Poochy) Smith, now deceased, had come to the apartment with his girlfriend on May 3, and then he saw him later at the dance. He said Poochy had asked where was Fish and he said at home.

Mr. Rawlins began crying when he told the jury how he found out that his best friend had been murdered.

He said: “I rode up the house and all I could see was pure Police, so I kept on going, because I thought that they had busted my place for drugs.”

He asked two friends to go to the house on separate occasions and then asked his girlfriend to go and find out what had happened.

“When she came back she was crying and stuff, she said Fish was dead, someone had killed him,” said Mr. Rawlins, now crying.

He said he went to the apartment and the Police told him to go to Hamilton Police station to say what had happened.

Mr. Rawlins, along with Albert (Poochy) Smith and others were all suspects in the murder of Mr. Easton.

In cross examination Mr. Rawlins said that yes he was a suspect and he had given so many statements of what had happened.

He said the first statement was given on May 4 in the early hours of the morning.

Mr. Pettingill reminded him that in six of the statements he had said that they were home, or home in the morning and shopping in the afternoon, but that he had never mentioned Archibald until last week.

Mr. Rawlins said one of the statements was given when he was serving a five-year prison sentence.

“They just kept getting me,” said Mr. Rawlins.

Mr. Pettingill asked whether Mr. Rawlins had trouble with anyone who might have killed Mr. Easton.

He denied having any trouble at first, but when reminded by his statements he admitted to having trouble with some Italian drug dealers and Michael (Squiggly) Dillas, who had broken into his apartment a month before the incident.

Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill is being assisted by Larry Mussenden.

Representing the Crown is Mr. Ratneser, who is being assisted by Crown counsels Juan Wolffe and Cindy Clarke.

The trial continues today before Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade-Miller.