'Yankee' Rawlins shot on his way to a birthday party, court hears
“Unsuspecting and defenceless” murder victim Raymond “Yankee” Rawlins was shot dead on his way into a friend's birthday party, Supreme Court heard yesterday.Mr Rawlins, 47, was hit by 16 bullets fired by two men as he entered the celebration at the Spinning Wheel nightclub, according to prosecutor Takiyah Burgess.David Cox, 31, of Club Road, Smith's, is on trial accused of premeditated murder and using a firearm to commit murder.Ms Burgess explained in her opening speech: “During this trial you may hear about an ongoing feud between rival gangs known as 42 and Parkside.“You may or may not hear that the defendant in the box is a member of the 42 gang. You may or may not hear that Court Street is an area where Parkside tend to hang out and frequent.”Ms Burgess said one of Mr Cox's friends, Julian Washington, was shot at the Mid Atlantic Boat Club at 11.45pm on Sunday August 8, 2010, less than an hour before Mr Rawlins was murdered at 12.23am on August 9. Mr Cox was at the boat club at the time.Detective Constable Shawnta Edmonson, the first witness in the case, led the investigation into the shooting of Mr Washington, 21.“From our investigations, the Mid Atlantic Boat Club is known to be a location where members of 42nd hang out,” she told the jury. “We found that the Mid Atlantic Boat Club was targeted because of the common knowledge that it was a hang out point for the 42nd members.”Mr Rawlins was attacked as he walked into the Spinning Wheel on Court Street, Pembroke, after he'd gone through the metal detector. Ms Burgess alleged that Mr Cox and another man got out of a car that had been driven along Court Street and ran into the club after him.“These same men came up behind him and started to fire shots; fired at least 16 shots at the deceased,” she explained.Five bullets hit Mr Rawlins in the left side of his head, nine hit his chest and upper arm, one hit his neck, and one hit his other arm.“Immediately after firing these shots the defendant and other man ran out of the Spinning Wheel, jumped into the waiting car outside and made their escape,” she alleged.Mr Rawlins was rushed to hospital in a passer by's car but succumbed to his injuries.Ms Burgess said police collected a hat from the road at the murder scene which was found to have Mr Cox's DNA on it.She added that the getaway car was stolen from the 42 gang area and found there too.Police searched a private residence in that neighbourhood and found a pair of latex gloves, which had gun shot residue and Mr Cox's DNA on them, according to the prosecutor.Detective Constable Jewel Hayward of the Forensic Support Unit attended Glebe Road, Pembroke, later on August 9. He found a small light green Daihatsu car parked behind the Seventh-day Adventist Church there, according to his evidence.He later headed to the junction of Glebe Road and St Monica's Road where he took pictures of a pair of latex gloves found in a trash bin outside a white house there.Ms Burgess said that while two men allegedly shot at Mr Rawlins, Mr Cox is the only person on trial. “You cannot speculate why the other man is not here being tried,” she told the jury.Mr Cox denies the charges and the case continues.
Jurors viewed CCTV footage of the moment Raymond “Yankee” Rawlins was murdered, during the trial of a man accused of the slaying.
According to prosecutors, David Cox was one of two men who chased Mr Rawlins into the Spinning Wheel nightclub on Court Street early last August 9 and shot him 16 times.
Detective Constable Nigel Richardson of the Forensic Support Unit collected the camera footage from club manager Steve Simons just under two hours after the murder.
He played it to the eight women and two men of the jury, who watched it in silence in a darkened courtroom.
Prosecutor Cindy Clarke then called upon witness Robert Chapman to talk the court through the images.
Mr Chapman explained he was working on security at the Spinning Wheel that night as it was the birthday of one of his co-workers, named Mikey.
He pointed himself out on the CCTV, standing by stairs and a metal detector at the entrance to the club.
He explained that a man pictured walking into the club wearing a red top was Mr Rawlins.
He then described two men walking into the club, one of whom was wearing a blue rain jacket with the hood pulled up so he could not see his face.
The other man, who walked in behind, was wearing a hat, according to Mr Chapman.
He told the jury the man in the blue jacket gripped Mr Rawlins by the shoulder, and the men pushed a woman greeting Mr Rawlins out of the way and onto the ground.
“I tried to help her up. I was pulling the lady up the steps and I started hearing shooting after that,” recalled Mr Chapman.
He said the man in the blue rain jacket wore white gloves and had a silver and black gun in his hand.
He told the jury he did not notice what the man in the hat was wearing, as everything happened so fast.
Mr Chapman said the two men walked out after the shooting and he moved Mr Rawlins, who was laying against a door, into a car which drove him to hospital.
The jury also heard from club manager Mr Simons who was at the venue that night. He explained “Mikey” was hosting a private party there, and provided his own security.
Mr Simons was at one of the club bars when he heard gunfire from the main entrance.
“A lot of the people participating in the party were scurrying all about and my staff was also a part of that,” he said.
When he heard something to the effect that “Yankee was shot” he called the authorities and reassured the club patrons.
Mr Cox, 31, of Smith's, denies premeditated murder and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence and the case continues.
