The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON


Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE former employee of a murdered CEO told the court that she was barely at her desk, having just arrived at the office, when she heard a loud noise outside.

Daffney Knowles said she thought the loud noise came from children shooting off firecrackers, but when she saw everyone else get up from their desks and go to the window, she followed them.

At the window, she looked down and saw Britannia Consulting Group CEO Hywel Jones lying on the pavement with blood coming from his head.

Franklyn Stubbs sat in the prisoner’s dock behind his attorney Dorsey McPhee as Ms Knowles gave her evidence.

Stubbs, 29, of Moncur Alley faces a charge of murder, which he denies.

He is accused of having caused the death of 55-year-old Hywel Jones of West Bay Street.

Mr Jones had just pulled up in the parking lot of his Compass Point Studio office when he was approached by a gunman and shot in the head as he got out of his Chevrolet Equinox jeep.

Mr Jones was rushed to Doctors Hospital and died of his injuries two weeks later after being declared brain dead.

The Kemp Road resident was taken into police custody a year later and charged in connection with the death.

Prosecutors Darnell Dorsett and Basil Cumberbatch alleged that he was the gunman in a killing that had been called an “execution-style” killing by police.

Yesterday, the witness said she had arrived to work at 9:20 that morning, minutes before her boss, Mr Jones, pulled into the drive-way.

“Do you know what vehicle he drove in?” prosecutor Cumberbatch asked.

“A Blue Chevy Equinox jeep,” the former employee answered.

“Did Mr Jones report to work that day?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” Ms Knowles said, adding that he reported for work “about 9:25am”.

The witness said that shortly after going to her desk, she heard a noise outside.

“I saw everyone else get up from their desk to the window and I followed them,” she said.

When asked if she knew what the noise was, she said: “I thought it was children shooting off fire crackers.

“I looked down and saw Mr Jones lying on the payment with blood coming from his head and his brief case lying next to him,” Ms Knowles said.

“You know which side it was on?” the prosecutor asked.

“His left,” she answered.

“Did you do anything at this time?” Mr Cumberbatch asked.

“I called 919,” she said, adding that someone on the receivers end had answered her call for an ambulance and police vehicle to come to the scene.

“Did you do anything else?” the prosecutor asked.

“I went close to see if he was still breathing,” she said.

“Who?” the prosecutor asked.

“Mr Jones,” the former employee said.

The prosecutor asked if he was still breathing. “Yes,” she replied.

“Do you know what was in the brief case?” the prosecutor asked.

“He usually has his lap top computer inside the case,” Ms Knowles said.

“Was the lap top bag still there when you saw him?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” she said.

In cross-examination, Mr McPhee asked the witness how many windows were on the eastern portion of the office.

Ms Knowles said there were two windows.

“Are they close together?” the attorney asked. “No,” she replied.

“Did you see Mr Heney that day?” the attorney asked.

“Yes,” the witness answered.

“Was he at a window?” the attorney asked. Ms Knowles said Mr Heney moved to the same window that she looked out of, although, she added, his desk was stationed there.

“When did you go to CDU?” Mr McPhee asked.

“I went on the same day of the shooting,” the witness said.

“No other time? You weren’t a part of any ID parade?” the attorney asked.

“No,” she replied.

The trial resumes today at 10am before Justice Indra Charles.