The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A KEY witness to a failed robbery of a popular fast food restaurant told the court she did not realize what was happening until the “gentleman” she thought was a customer jumped over the counter and tried to open the cash register.

The woman said the armed gunman, wearing blue jeans and a multi-coloured sweater, leapt back over the counter and left the

restaurant after he was unsuccessful in opening the two cash registers of the Oakes Field Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

As the woman’s testimony was being heard by the nine member jury, 25-year-old Jeremy Kemp sat in the prisoner’s dock of the Supreme Court. He is charged with attempted armed robbery.

It is claimed that on December 13, 2010 he attempted to rob the restaurant while armed with a handgun. Kemp denies the charge against him.

During yesterday’s hearing, while under examination by prosecutor Kevin Farrington, the cashier recalled what occurred around 5pm on the day in question.

“I was behind the counter. I was the only cashier on at the time. I was between the apple pie shelf and the soda cooler,” she told the court.

“I was drinking some water and the gentleman came inside and I thought he was a customer so I started walking to the counter. I remember hearing him say ‘Don’t move,’ but I wasn’t really conscious of what was going on and continued walking to the register.”

“He came and he jump over the counter and tried to open the first cash register. He start beating on it to get it open, but it wouldn’t open. He went to the second register and started to pull the cash register. He jumped back over the counter when he couldn’t get the cash register open and he run out the door.”

Mr Farrington asked the key witness about the lighting conditions in the restaurant.

She said: “They were bright. It was light up just like in here, in the court.”

When asked if she could recall the sweater the gunman had on she said. “It was mainly blue, with grey, brown and had like an animal on it, like a deer or something like that.”

Defending attorney, Murrio Ducille, did not cross-examine this witness.

Earlier in the day, Police Constable 3039 Jamal Johnson told the court that he and his colleague were on mobile patrol on Nassau Street before being alerted to the situation at KFC. The constable said they were heading south on Nassau Street when he saw a group of persons outside the Kentucky and BahamasAir buildings.

He said persons pointed the officers to the nearby suspect, who upon making eye contact with the constable, “began to flee in an easterly direction.”

A foot chase began and Constable Johnson said he saw the suspect fall down before getting up and throwing a “silver and black object to the side.”

“He ran into an abandoned building right into reserved Sergeant Thompson and we placed him under arrest,” the officer said.

The constable said that he later found out the object thrown aside by the suspect was a black and silver .40 Calibre pistol and was able to verify the same weapon based on the serial number when looking at the crime scene photos presented in court.

Prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister asked the constable if he could recall what the suspect was wearing during the incident.

“At the time before the chase, he was wearing a multicolored sweat, with blue jeans and sneakers. After he took the sweater off, he was in a white shirt, blue jeans pants and sneakers” the court heard.

In cross-examination, Mr Ducille asked the witness to look at photograph one of the crime scene photos, which shows a street sign and a section of  Nassau Street looking south.

Mr Ducille asked the constable “where is the abandoned building in relation to the sign?”

The constable said: “The east.”

The attorney asked the officer if he ever loss sight of the man they were chasing and the constable replied in the negative.

Mr Ducille suggested to the witness that they [officers] lost sight of the person they were pursuing after he turned the bend of the abandoned building.

“You to lost sight of him, Isn’t that right?”

“Not if we were chasing him” Constable Johnson replied.

“You didn’t answer my question” the attorney relied.

“He was still in my sight sir” the officer replied.

“Even as he turned around the corner of the abandoned building?” Mr Ducille asked.

“He was still in my sight as I was chasing him sir” the witness answered. “Then you must have curvaceous vision” the attorney retorted.

Continuing with his examination of the witness, asked the witness if he would agree that the area around the abandoned building “is bushy and has a passage way by the building facing a fence?”

“Yes” Constable Johnson answered.

“So you never loss sight of him” the attorney asked.

“No sir” the officer responded.

“I’m suggesting to you that you are a liar” the attorney said.

“No sir” Constable Johnson answered.

The trial resumes today at 2.30pm. Justice Senior Jon Isaacs is presiding over the trial. Ron Pinder and Nathan Smith are assisting Mr Ducille in the defence of the accused.