The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A CHINESE restaurant worker celebrating the Chinese New Year with family and friends stepped outside of his home to smoke a cigarette with his Samsung Galaxy phone in hand, the court heard yesterday.

A few minutes later, a gunshot was heard and 45-year-old Wing Hong Chan of Village Road was found lying on the ground unresponsive, his cellphone missing.

“The Crown contends this was a senseless murder,” assisting prosecutor Ralph Munroe said during the opening address of yesterday’s murder and armed robbery trial.

During this address, the man accused of this murder, 19-year-old Cleophas Clarke, sat behind his attorney, Gregory Hilton.

Clarke, of Yamacraw Beach, faces one charge each of murder and armed robbery, which he denies.

He is accused of killing Chan outside his home on Village Road on January 22, 2012 and robbing him of a Samsung Galaxy SII worth $700.

Mr Chan worked at the VIP Chinese restaurant and was related to one of its owners.

He died a short time after the shooting at Doctor’s hospital.

In the afternoon session of yesterday’s proceedings, lead prosecutor Anthony Delaney called a number of police witnesses who testified about their involvement in collecting and handling the evidence from the scene, taking photographs of the scene and photographing the deceased at the Rand Laboratory.

According to Sgt Aaron Wilson Jr, a firearms examinations officer, his analysis of the bullet and cartridge found at the scene and taken from Chan’s body revealed that it was a Luger 9mm calibre bullet produced by Remington Peters.

The court is expected to hear evidence today from relatives of Chen and other witnesses involved in the case.

Court proceedings begin at 10am. Justice Bernard Turner is presiding over the trial.