Prosecution and defence counsel are expected to offer closing arguments on Monday, 28 June, in the murder trial of Jashawn Owen Anthony Johnson, after hearing of the evidence concluded on Thursday in the Grand Court.
Johnson has been charged with the 2020 Christmas Eve stabbing death of Michael Aaron Bush outside of the Casa nightclub in The Strand on West Bay Road. The incident was recorded on CCTV, which was used as a crucial part of the prosecution’s evidence.
“This is a case that turns largely on the footage, captured outside the nightclub,” said acting Director of Public Prosecutions Candia James-Malcolm, who is the lead Crown counsel in the trial.
In the footage, Johnson is seen pleading with a female security officer to gain entry to the nightclub but the then-20-year-old is turned away because of the establishment’s minimum entry age requirement of 25.
While the two were speaking, Bush, 22, joined the conversation and, a short time later, an argument broke out between the two men.
Johnson then went to his car, retrieved a knife and returned to the nightclub. After a short while, he approached Bush, a woman, and another man thought to be Bush’s friend. After a brief conversation, the woman, who was standing behind Johnson, can be seen hitting him in the back of his head. Bush then punched Johnson who drew the knife and chased Bush out of sight of the camera.
The actual stabbing is not recorded on camera; however, when Bush is then shown returning to view on CCTV, he is seen holding up his shirt, revealing a single stab wound to the centre of his chest.
A case of self-defence
Although Johnson accepted that he stabbed Bush, he said it was done in self-defence.
Taking to the stand to give evidence, Johnson said he felt threatened after the conversation with Bush, so he armed himself.
“It was clear to me that I was in danger, and so I needed to do whatever it takes to guarantee my safety,” Johnson told the court.
Medical evidence suggested that the stab wound was created by a blade of approximately 20cm. During his testimony, Johnson claimed he hid the knife in a small bag that measured 15cm.
“It is impossible for you to have hidden the weapon in the bag and have it completely closed,” said prosecutor Gregg Malcolm, who jointly represented the Crown.
Johnson denied Malcolm’s suggestions that he hid the knife elsewhere on his body. When asked to demonstrate how he concealed the knife in the bag without it being seen, he could not.
“A small section of the knife would have been visible, but it’s a 50% chance that based on the angle of the camera you would not see it on the CCTV,” said Johnson, who failed to point out the knife in the image when asked to in court.
Johnson claimed that during the fight with Bush he received a cut to his neck that ran horizontally across his throat. These claims were dismissed by police, and not corroborated by other witnesses.
Police evidence
Earlier in the trial, Detective Inspector Dave Morrison told the court he did not believe Johnson could have suffered such an injury from the fight.
“Neither Mr. Johnson’s mother nor his girlfriend made any mention of such an injury to his neck when they were initially questioned by police,” said Morrison. “They saw him shortly after the incident and spent Christmas Day together.”
When called to the stand to give evidence for the prosecution, Johnson’s girlfriend said she could not remember if he had the cut to his neck the day after the fight. Johnson’s friend, who drove him away from the scene, told police that Johnson bragged about the stabbing and that “he killed people regularly” – a claim Johnson refuted.
The trial resumes at 10am on Monday.
Justice Roger Chapple, who has presided over the judge-alone trial which began on Friday, 18 June, said after hearing from the two counsel on Monday, he will “take some time” to arrive at a verdict.
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