Cricket club shooting trial begins
The trial of a man accused of shooting four people outside of the Somerset Cricket Club began yesterday in the Supreme Court.
Princeton Shantoine Burrows, 24, denies firing at four men with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, along with charges of possessing a firearm and five rounds of .40 calibre ammunition in connection to the attack on November 11, 2014.
Prosecutor Takiyah Burgess said the incident took place hours after the Somerset Trojans played Dandy Town for the Dudley Eve Trophy at the National Sports Centre.
After the game, Trojans players and others went to Somerset Cricket Club.
Sometime after 6.30pm, Ms Burgess said several gunshots were heard coming from trees near the property.
Four men were injured and rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
One of the complainants, Denzel Crockwell, was shot in the pelvis, while Lorenzo Dill had a bullet enter his back and exit his side.
A third victim, Gladstone Wade, suffered a fractured femur and a fourth complainant — who cannot be identified due to a court-ordered reporting restriction — endured a fractured elbow. After the shooting, Germiko Williams was arrested.
Ms Burgess said that when interviewed, Williams told police officers that on the afternoon of the incident he had driven Mr Burrows to a spot near the club.
He reportedly told them the had waited at the bike while Mr Burgess walked away. Moments later, Williams said he heard shots fired and the accused ran back to the bike.
Ms Burgess said Williams was subsequently charged and sentenced for his involvement in the incident.
The Crown’s first witness, Detective Stephen Palmer, a forensic support officer, told the court he arrived at the scene of the shooting at about 8.50pm that day.
He swabbed a section of fence near Somerset Road where a suspect was believed to have fled the scene. He also recovered two .40 calibre shell casings near a chicken coop behind a wall opposite the cricket club’s front entrance.
He said he found and photographed possible bullet fragments on the club’s porch, explaining that he suspected it to be the part of the bullet’s copper jacket, although he could not be sure.
He also photographed a disfigured bullet slug, a damaged wall and what appeared to be blood just inside the entrance of the club.
Mr Palmer said he was later directed to the car park of the nearby Somerset Laundromat, where he photographed a ¾ empty bottle of grape soda.
The trial continues today.
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