Attorneys Grant Connell and Carl Williams, defense lawyers in the retrial in which two men were recently convicted of double murder, are of the view that the jury may have had some issues of concern in arriving at the verdicts, having taken over four hours to do so.
A 12-member Jury comprised of six men and six women, on Friday, June 9, found residents of Rillan Hill – Schemel ‘Jacket’ Dunbar and Kendine ‘Hoody’ Douglas – guilty of the May 4, 2027 murder of police constable Danroy Cozier 25, and his brother Nicholas Cozier, 19.
The jury retired at 11:30 a.m. and returned at 4 p.m.
“Four hours is a very long time for a jury to consider a verdict. Clearly, it was not clear-cut. Maybe this case gives good reason to fuel the discussion on the issue of Judge alone (trials),” Connell, who represented Douglas, told us , shortly after the verdicts were delivered.
“Juries have a very difficult task, especially living in a very small country, which makes it almost impossible not to be exposed to the details of the case, they (jurors) being part of a very small public”, Connell said, adding, “Sitting on a jury where the judge would tell them to forget everything they have heard outside the four walls of the Court, is literally asking you not to be a human being, because what they heard before, no matter the source, would be recorded in their subconscious, which is just being human.”
Asked whether he would be appealing the conviction, Connell said, “I am awaiting the sentencing, based on which I would follow instructions.”
Dunbar and Douglas are expected to be sentenced on July 14, following a sentencing hearing.
Carl Williams, who represented Dunbar, told the publication, “It appears as though there was some difficulty arriving at the verdicts. There must have been some issues of concern among the jury, and even though they were directed on some aspects of the law, they are human beings, and juries are unpredictable.”
Williams echoed Connell’s sentiment, “that even though the judge would have impressed upon them to disregard things they may have heard on radio, TV, and on the streets, they are human beings and it would be difficult for them to forget what they have heard before.”
Asked whether he would be appealing the convictions, Williams said, “Right now, I am just awaiting the sentencing. I have not been instructed otherwise.”