Inmate wants pardon in exchange for testimony

The prosecution’s star witness admitted yesterday that he agreed to testify in exchange for his “safety” since he is currently at the same prison where murder accused Steve Urlings Jr is being housed.
The witness, who cannot be named, said he was approached last week by the investigating officer in Albert “Pressure Man” Browne’s murder at Booby Alley, Point on September 1, 2014.
The man, who is serving a five-year prison sentence imposed in the High Court by another judge in January, said he never offered a statement about what he witnessed because no one ever came to him.
“I thought there was enough people as witness and knowing I had a case I didn’t want to put myself in a certain predicament,” the prisoner said, indicating his willingness to give a statement was dependent on certain factors.
The convict said that he only knew his testimony would be sought when the police officer visited him in prison and he laid down his conditions.
“I want to guarantee my safety; I could probably get a pardon so I couldn’t be in the prison,” the star witness said.
The prisoner, who is serving the sentence after a jury found him guilty for indecent assault on a 13-year-old girl, said he saw Urlings, also known as Crypto, standing over 19-year-old Browne as he shot him, before fleeing through Booby Alley.
The man said he knew Urlings for several years before the killing and on the night of the shooting he could identify him as the murder accused, although part of his face was covered, because he knew him well enough to identify Urlings by his braided hair and uncovered eyes.
An earlier witness was recalled to clarify the type of footwear the suspect had on when she saw him fleeing Point after the shooting.
“The person was wearing slippers, something that people wear in the yard. I heard them, they made a flopping sound. I did not see the slippers,” the witness responded to questions posed by defence counsel Michael Archibald and Crown Counsel 1, Adlai Smith.
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)