The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

ABLE Seaman Jevon Seymour denied being angry with Petty Officer Percival Perpall for reporting him absent without leave when he was questioned in police custody following the marine’s murder, a jury heard.

Seymour is charged with the shooting death of PO Perpall, along with the attempted murders of Marine Seamen Calvin Hanna and Ellis Rahming.

According to police reports, the three officers were attacked while on duty at Government House.

They were said to be in a guardroom when an assailant entered and opened fire on them around 2.30am Sunday, April 28, 2019.

Seymour has maintained his not guilty plea during his trial before Senior Justice Bernard Turner.

Yesterday, Sergeant Sherwin Braynen said when he visited the Government House compound that morning, he was led to the guardroom where he saw PO Perpall “semi-slouched” on a couch with several gunshot wounds about his body. He said he also observed several cartridges, fired casings and unfired rounds of ammunition on the floor.

Sgt Braynen said after he and his team conducted a physical search of the property, he received information in reference to two people being in custody in relation to the offence.

The officer said he interviewed Seymour around 5.41pm that day at the Criminal Investigations Department. He said when he asked the accused how long he had been attached to the military, he told him seven or eight years.

He said Seymour also acknowledged a deployment to Ragged Island in March of that year with Marine Seaman Butler, Marine Seaman Storr and PO Perpall. He added the accused told him he did not stay in Ragged Island for the whole month because he had an “accident” when a fishing hook got stuck in his finger.

The court heard Seymour stated he returned to the capital on or about March 19 and received a sick slip from the RBDF’s sick bay for a “few days”.

Sgt Braynen said when he asked the accused if he was contacted by Petty Officer Cummings who informed him he was in breach of his duty, he said he was never contacted by PO Cummings, but was told to report to prosecutions by his guardroom commander in reference to an AWOL incident.

According to the officer, Seymour denied ever being charged and said while they called it that, they were supposed to go back to court on May 9. He also claimed he was told to stand down after his sick leave since the matter would be handled when everybody returned from assignment. He said he called PO Perpall on speakerphone at prosecutions who repeated the same information in their presence.

Sgt Braynen said when he asked the accused if he became angry with PO Perpall because he did not give him permission to not report to work, he responded: “Negative, negative.”

He also said when the question was put to him, Seymour denied becoming “enraged” at his superior after he was prosecuted by the RBDF and stated: “That’s a negative.”

The officer said at the conclusion of Seymour’s record of interview under caution, he exercised his constitutional right by electing not to sign the interview statement.

The case continues today.