The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE second retrial of Stephen “Die” Stubbs and two other men in connection with the murder of an off-duty policeman did not proceed yesterday despite the heavy security measures taken by the police force.

All access to the Supreme Court on Bank Lane was blocked yesterday morning with barricades and heavily armed policemen from various police units on duty as 37-year-old “Die” Stubbs was brought to the Supreme Court for his retrial before Justice Roy Jones.

Stubbs, Andrew “Yogi” Davis and Clint “Russ” Evans face a charge of murder.

It is claimed that the three men, on March 13, 1999, murdered Corporal Jimmy Ambrose.

Ambrose, working as a security guard on the day in question, was shot and killed outside the now closed Club Rock Disco on West Bay Street.

The three accused men stood trial in 2002 and were convicted.

However, they appealed the guilty verdict and death row in the Court of Appeal where the convictions and death sentence were squashed and a retrial ordered.

The retrial occurred in 2004, but ended in a mistrial.

Eight years later, Stubbs returned to court to be tried for the murder. He entered the courtroom under an eight-man police escort.

Evans, who is on bail, was present for yesterday’s proceedings.

However, the third accused, “Yogi” Davis was not.

Before empanelling of the jury started, there was a legal discussion between Justice Jones and counsel on pre-trial and legal issues.

By 12:45pm, the judge asked the jurors, who had yet to be empanelled, to return to court today.

Stubbs is defended by lawyers Murrio Ducille and Jerone Roberts while “Russ” Evans has retained Ramona Farquharson-Seymour as his counsel. Ian Cargill represents “Yogi” Davis.

Court proceedings begin at 10am.