Constable Wilson granted $1m bail in Bulgin murder case as lawyer urges restraint

WESTERN BUREAU:

King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie is urging Jamaicans not to prejudge Police Constable Andrew Wilson, who faces a murder charge linked to the contested May 17 fatal shooting of Latoya ‘Buju’ Bulgin, before the courts decide the facts.

Champagnie, who acts for the officer, issued that warning in remarks to The Gleaner after winning bail for Wilson. The constable appeared for the first time in the St James Circuit Court yesterday before High Court Justice Andrea Pettigrew-Collins.

Prosecutors allege Wilson shot Bulgin while she sat at the wheel of her black Toyota Voxy, ferrying people to a demonstration in Granville Square. That protest followed the death of her 17-year-old cousin in another police-related episode.

“Myself and Mr Michael Hemmings, who appear for Mr Wilson, appreciate the fact that this is a matter that has generated much public attention, and of course information and transparency are important. But at the same time, what I will caution is that the matter is now before the circuit court, and the matter should be tried in that court, and not in the court of public opinion,” said Champagnie.

After Bulgin was killed, her body was placed in the rear of a police service vehicle. The episode, recorded on CCTV, drew broad public rebuke. Granville residents mounted intense protests, and organisations including the People’s National Party Women’s Movement and the Watchmen Church Leaders Alliance voiced their unease.

“The matter has been transferred from the parish court to the circuit court, and the law allows for that to happen. It results in a situation where there is no committal hearing, so it is now directly in the circuit court,” Champagnie said, pointing to the shift of Wilson’s file from the St James Parish Court under a voluntary bill of indictment.

A nolle prosequi ended the parish-court case, so no formal committal hearing was required before the circuit court assumed the matter.

At Monday’s sitting before Justice Pettigrew-Collins, the court heard that several prosecution papers are still missing from the case file. Among them are transcripts of Wilson’s interview, the post-mortem report, and a biological certificate tied to blood found at the scene.

The arresting officer’s statement, the forensic certificate, and the CCTV footage are said to be already on the file, yet still have not been handed to Wilson’s lawyers. The Crown is expected to complete disclosure of the documents it holds by August 7 at the latest, ahead of a case management hearing set for October 9.

Wilson received bail of $1 million with surety, together with reporting terms mirroring those earlier fixed in the parish court.

“The next court date is going to be on October 9, and it is a case management hearing date, so it is not for trial,” Champagnie said.

“We anticipate that, by then, the defence will be in a position to disclose that they have received all the documentation involved in this matter.”

After the hearing, Champagnie told The Gleaner the outstanding material covers “some of them electronic, because this is a matter where part of it was captured electronically”.