Defence probes lost evidence in Wallace murder trial

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By Kisean Joseph

[email protected]

A gap in photographic evidence was revealed yesterday in the ongoing murder trial of Berle Wallace Jr, as a police forensic officer testified that crucial crime scene photographs were lost due to system failures and resource constraints.

During day three of the trial proceedings at the High Court, the officer revealed — under cross-examination by defense attorney Wendel Alexander — that photographs documenting the crime scene outside Pita Pocket Restaurant were irretrievable due to storage issues involving the department’s CD storage system.

The revelation came amid a full day of testimony that included key medical experts, pathologist Dr Lester Simon, alongside continued testimony from inspector Theodore Horne, whose cross-examination carried over from Tuesday. Constable Jarreau Roberts and senior sergeant Philton Bascombe also took the stand as part of the Crown’s case.

Bascombe said that when the request for the photos was made a year after the photos were taken, he could not locate them on his personal hard drive nor the police hard drive, and Alexander accused him of being reckless and careless.

Wallace faces murder charges in connection with the March 1, 2022 death of Christopher Smithers following an altercation outside the restaurant. The prosecution contends that Wallace used unjustified deadly force, while the defense has been methodically building a narrative of self-defence and provocation through their cross-examinations.

Alexander’s questioning strategy focused on establishing a timeline, suggesting Smithers initiated the physical confrontation. The defense emphasized witness accounts of the moments immediately following what they describe as Smithers throwing the first punch.

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