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Gunmen covered cycle’s licence plate with a garbage bag — forensics policeman

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On trial: Julian Washington.

A gunman fired at a group of people as they left a Hamilton nightclub and avoided police in a high-speed chase, a jury has heard.Three men, Devon Hewey, 25, Cervio Cox, 30, both from Warwick, and Julian Washington, 24, from Pembroke, deny charges of attempted murder and using a firearm outside Shine’s nightclub on Reid Street around 3.30am on March 24 last year.Mr Hewey is represented by Shade Subair, while Mr Cox is represented by Charles Richardson and Mr Washington is represented by Larry Mussenden.Senior Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney told the court that Lavon Thomas and Darren Thompson were targeted by two men on a motorcycle while leaving Shine’s with a group of people.As the two men rode away from the scene they were spotted by approaching police making a U-turn on Cavendish Road and riding at high speed east down Spurling Hill and onto East Broadway and into the Botanical Gardens in Paget.That cycle — with its licence plate covered by a black garbage bag — and helmets were later found in the gardens.The helmets were later forensically linked to the defendants, Mr Mahoney said, adding that while only two men were on the motorcycle, all three could be convicted if it is proven they are all linked to the “giant enterprise”.“The passenger on the bike pulled out a firearm, aimed it at the group standing outside of Shine’s,” Mr Mahoney said. “The passenger pulled the trigger of the firearm several times but apparently it was jammed or it didn’t go off for some reason.“Lavon Thomas started to run. As he was running across the road the rider pointed the firearm at him and fired one or two shots.“The motorcycle eventually turned around, facing Cavendish Road, and the rider continued to fire in the direction of Lavon who got to some steps at the side of a building and went down the steps to Front Street.”Mr Thomas was not hit, but Mr Mahoney said it was later learned one of the bullets passed through the back of a car stopped at the intersection.As Mr Thomas ran west down Front Street looking for help, the motorcycle rode a short distance on Cavendish Road before turning around.Police chased the suspects down Spurling Hill, along East Broadway and towards King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where the officers saw the brake lights of a motorcycle enter Botanical Gardens.Other officers responding to the incident entered the Botanical Gardens through the eastern entrance, which had been left open, and discovered a motorcycle matching the description of the one used in the shooting. The engine and muffler of the vehicle were still warm.A search of the area around the motorcycle revealed a helmet, while a second helmet was found near Camden House.“These items were forensically examined and each of the defendants were linked to one or the other,” Mr Mahoney said.Detective Constable Steven Palmer of the Forensic Support Unit testified that he arrived at the scene of the shooting at around 4.15am, and was directed by officers toward four 9mm shell casings in the road.He took pictures of the casings and collected them.Det Con Palmer also took pictures of two shattered windows at 141 Front Street, the building across the road from Shine’s, and a possible bullet fragment found on the ground below one of the windows.At around 5.45am, he said he left the area and went to an unpaved service path on the eastern side of Botanical Gardens, where he photographed a Yamaha motorcycle.“It was about 50m from South Road,” he said. “It was kind of to the side. Not in the bushes but by the edge of the bushes.”He said the vehicle’s licence plate was covered with a black garbage bag, which he photographed and collected.

On trial: Cervio Cox.
On trial: Devon Hewey.