Officer denies manipulating suspect's responses in interview

Thu, Mar 26th 2015, 12:52 AM

A policeman yesterday denied that he manipulated the answers given by a man accused of abetment to murder.

Sergeant 2586 Jamal Evans was testifying in the trial of Kervin Neely, who is accused of abetting the stabbing death of 17-year-old Enrico Major on June 1, 2014.

Dwayne Peter Lockhart has pleaded guilty to Major's murder and was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment.

Evans, the investigator, read an interview conducted with Neely at the Central Detective Unit on June 3, 2014.

In the interview, Neely admits giving Lockhart a ride.

He allegedly said that Lockhart came out of the car and fought with a man, who had been chasing him [Lockhart] earlier.

But during questioning by attorney Glendon Rolle, who represents Neely, Evans admitted that the questions and answers in the interview were not verbatim.

"The questions that you wrote were not the questions that you asked the defendant?" Rolle asked. Evans said that the questions were "similar". Rolle continued.

"So every answer that he gave you is in this record of interview."

Evans said, "It may not have been verbatim, but they are the answers that he gave."

Rolle said, "I would suggest to you officer that you manipulated the answers to the questions."

Evans replied, "There was no manipulation."

Rolle retorted, "Do you know the meaning of manipulation?" Evans replied, "There was no manipulation.

Rolle said,"So much more was said, but you decided, sir, what you would put in and took out what you wanted to take out."

Evans denied this. He continues his evidence today.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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