The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

RENALDO Hudson, 20, is on trial in the Supreme Court for the armed robbery and the double murder of a man and woman and the attempted murder of another woman two years ago during a robbery in a Grand Bahama area known as “the ghetto”.

After a lengthy jury selection process, a nine-woman and three-man jury was empaneled at around noon on Thursday.

Hudson, who is represented by Mario Gray, is accused of the shooting deaths of Jacquelin Armbrister and Noel Hamilton, and shooting Agatha Gaitor during a robbery on March 21, 2016. The victims were found with gunshot injuries to the head in a wooden shack off Hearn Lane and Bruce Avenue, Freeport.

Armbrister died at the scene. Ms Gaitor and Hamilton were taken by EMS personnel to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

Prosecutor Erica Kemp presented the particulars of the case. She told jurors that on the morning of March 21, 2016, Armbrister and Hamilton were in a small wooden shack when sometime after 11am shots were heard in the area. She said it was discovered that three persons in the shack were shot, however one survived. The prosecutor said spent firearm cartridges were found at the scene.

Police Corporal 1351 Philip Forbes, an officer attached to the Mobile Division, was the first officer to arrive on the scene around 11.23am on the day in question.

When he arrived, he observed two spent bullet casings, and saw a woman sitting in a white plastic chair, bleeding from the head and pleading for help, and two other persons – a man and woman who were unresponsive.

Officer Forbes said he secured the scene and called EMS personnel, who transported Ms Gaitor and Hamilton to hospital for medical attention. He said Armbrister had died at the scene.

When asked by Prosecutor Kemp about injuries he observed on the victims, Corp Forbes said all the victims had injuries to the head.

Jackson Curry, a resident of the area, said just before the shooting he had observed two men wearing with black hoodies in the area standing on the wall in a yard, which is approximately 15ft in proximity to the shack.

He described one of the men as being very “terrifying.” About an hour later, Mr Curry said he heard several gunshots.

“I was inside my room for about an hour or less when I heard, bam, bam, bam, bam…,” said Mr Curry who lives in another house just behind the wooden shack.

He went outside and saw Armbrister laying slumped in a chair and blood draining down her hand.

“Did you go in the shack?” asked Prosecutor Kemp. “No ma’am,” he replied.

Mr Curry said he went across the road and asked a neighbour to call the police. He said officers arrived immediately.

Mr Curry told the court the two men wearing black hoodies were no longer in the area. He said one of men was known as “Mooby,” who he described as a strapping man about five feet, 11 inches. He said the second man was about five feet, 10 inches tall and looked to be around 16-17 years old.

Detective Constable Sterling Francis, attached to the Crime Records Office, testified he arrived at the scene 11.30 am. He said he took photographs of a black female who was dead inside the shack, two spent bullet casings, and the interior and exterior of the shack.

He then went to the Trauma Bay at the Rand Memorial Hospital around 1.20pm, where he spoke with 772 Johnson and took photographs of the deceased Noel Hamilton, who had laceration on the right side of the forehead.

At about 2.20pm on date in question he went to the Central Detective Unit where he spoke with Sgt 772 Johnson, who pointed out a suspect. Constable Francis said that he conducted a gunshot residue kit.

The officer had also collected latent fingerprints from an Eclipse beer bottle, which he also photographed for evidence. He downloaded all the photographs on a CD and made enlargement and compiled several albums.

Prosecutor Kemp entered the albums as evidence.

Detective Inspector Martin Roberts, of Crime Records Office, said on March 23, around 11am he went to the hospital’s morgue where autopsies of Hamilton and Armbrister were performed by Dr Mandy Pedican.

He said he took photographs of the deceased victims’ injuries. He also received blood samples and microfiber collected by the pathologist from the victims, as well as a metal fragment removed from the body of Armbrister.

Justice Estelle Gray-Evans is presiding over the matter, which resumes today.

Erica Kemp and John Kemp of the Attorney General Office are appearing on behalf of the Crown.