Jury hears officer bought rope the day before he was found hanged
A coroner’s jury heard Wednesday that intimate photographs of unidentified females, including some of a girl estimated to be 12 to 14 years old, were discovered on the phone of a police officer after he was found hanged.
The jury also heard on Wednesday that police constable Raphael Anthony Williams, following his arrest and suspension from duty, bought a length of rope the day before his body was found hanging from a tree in East End on Sunday, Jan. 12.
During this week’s inquest into Mr. Williams’s death, the jury heard that Mr. Williams was arrested on suspicion of blackmail and breach of trust following information that he had attempted to solicit sexual favors from a female motorist whom he had stopped in the early hours of Jan. 6 for not having insurance.
Complaint
Detective Inspector Richard Oliver told the court of his involvement in speaking with the woman who had made the complaint against Mr. Williams. When he went with another officer to make the arrest and explain the allegation, Mr. Williams said it wasn’t true. Mr. Williams told him he had heard of other policemen doing such a thing and they had lost their jobs and he had no wish to risk that.
Mr. Oliver told the court that he subsequently went to speak to another woman and she signed a statement about an incident she said had occurred on Jan. 2, 2011. He then went to the police station and told Mr. Williams he was arresting him regarding another allegation of blackmail and breach of trust.
When it came to bail, Mr. Oliver said he told Mr. Williams he could be released on condition that he not approach the two complainants and that he return to the station on Jan. 14.
Photos on phone
Mr. Oliver told the court that the two phones which Mr. Williams voluntarily handed over were given to a technical support unit so that their contents could be examined to see if there was evidence to support the contention that he had been in communication with the more recent complainant.
Mr. Oliver said the phones’ contents were put on a CD. He viewed it and saw that they contained a number of “intimate photographs” of adult females and a video of an intimate nature. There was nothing to indicate the identity of any of the subjects.
There were also photographs of a young girl, whose age he estimated at between 12 and 14. In one photo, she was wearing underwear; in another, she was completely naked. Mr. Oliver said he decided it was necessary to identify the young girl, as she would be a person at risk.
He therefore requested further examination of the photographs to see if they were taken by the handset or sent from somewhere else. It was not possible to confirm how the images had been gathered – nothing to indicate time, place or date.
Attorney James Stenning, who represents the widow of Mr. Williams, asked if this phone examination was carried out after Mr. Williams’s death. He was told yes.
Mr. Stenning asked if Mr. Barrow could be sure that the girl in the photos was under 18. The witness replied that a number of people had seen them and the view was that she was 12 to 14.
Rope receipt
Mr. Williams was arrested at his home and taken to the George Town Police Station on Thursday, Jan. 9, detained overnight and bailed the following evening, after Attorney Charles Clifford attended for his interview. On Saturday, Mr. Williams’s wife reported that her husband was missing.
Police Sergeant Charmaine Huntley told the court that after Mr. Williams’s body was found, a receipt was recovered from his pocket. It was for a length of 3/8-inch white nylon rope with a purchase price of $12.50. It was dated Jan. 11 and timed at 11:02 a.m. at Cox Lumber Company.
Ms. Huntley said she went to the store and asked to view CCTV. Jurors were provided with still photos showing Mr. Williams entering the store, paying for the item and leaving. The clothes he wore in the store were the clothes he was wearing when he was found the next day.
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