The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who witnessed a murder and attempted murder from his window days before Christmas told the jury of what he saw take place between two men and a woman allegedly involved in the incident.

Michael Scott, 45, of Miami Florida, is on trial for murder and attempted murder in connection with the 2009 incident.

It is claimed the Jamaican national, who resided in the USA at the time, tried to kill his wife on December 20, 2009 while she walking home along Palm Beach Street with her boyfriend, 21-year-old David Rolle.

He is further alleged to have stabbed Rolle to death before stabbing his wife 17 times.

Sheneka Colebrooke was expected to be the first of two key prosecution witnesses to take the stand.

However, she was not feeling well.

In her place, the court heard the evidence of Sidney Evans, who told of what he saw from his Palm Beach Street window.

That morning, Evans told the court, he had heard a commotion outside and looked out of his window, where he saw "a Rasta man" putting a woman into the passenger's seat of a white car before getting into the driver's seat.

He said another man, holding what appeared to be a wrench, went around to the rear-passenger side and smashed the window of the car before walking off.

The "rasta looking man" pursued the dark-skinned man, who then collapsed to the ground, which prompted the woman to get out of the car, run over to the fallen man and kneel over his body, the witness said.

She was grabbed by the hair, kicked in the head and stabbed about "two, three times" in the back," he said.

During cross-examination, defence attorney Murrio Ducille questioned apparent differences between the witnesses' statement to police and what he was telling the jury on the witness stand.

Mr Ducille suggested to the witness that Rolle had attacked his client with the tyre wrench.

"That is not what happened" said Evans.

Mr Ducille asked another question "Did you see a fight going on?"

"Not between these two," the witness said.

The defending attorney then asked, "Is it a fact that you told the police a fight was going on."

The witness told the court, "If I did, I was wrong."

Mr Ducille sought to have Mr Evans read the statement he gave to police after the incident, particularly with reference to the scenario in which a Rasta inflicted several stab wounds to the back area of the woman.

However, Evans admitted that he couldn't read very well and said, "My eyes sometimes get a little blurry."

"If I lend you glasses, would you be able to read it?" Mr Ducille asked.

The witness said this would not help him, and Justice Jon Isaacs told Mr Ducille to continue with the questioning.

Mr Ducille suggested to the witness that he was not being "very forthcoming" with the court, but Mr Evans said he was not lying.

Sheneka Colebrooke is expected to testify this morning when the trial resumes at 10am.