Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
THE WOMAN who survived the shooting incident at Flankers, St. James, in October 2003 when two senior citizens were fatally shot in a motor car, recounted the incident, yesterday.
Audrey Stephens, 54, fruit vendor, of Flankers, said she was shot and injured on October 25, 2003.
Woman Constable Bibzie Foster and four policemen have been on trial in the Home Circuit Court for the murder of 63-year-old taxi driver David Bacchas, and 63-year-old Cecil Brown, newspaper vendor and chef, both of Flankers.
Police witnesses testified last week that the motor car drove into crossfire between the police and gunmen.
Stephens said that about 3:45 a.m. on October 25, 2003, Bacchas came to pick her up to take her to the market. Brown was sitting in the front of the red motor car that Bacchas was driving.
While going into the back seat, she said she saw the head of a man peeping three times from around a truck head that was parked in the opposite direction.
PURE GUNSHOTS
Stephens said the headlights of the car were on and, as the front of the car reached the truck head, "is pure roogoo roogoo, pure gunshots and the car still driving." She said when she heard the gunshots she went down on the vehicle flooring.
After the shooting subsided, Stephens said she turned her head and looked through the rear windscreen and saw armed policemen.
She went back to lie on the floor of the motor car and heard another barrage of gunshots "coming into the car" which was still moving. When the shooting eased and the car stopped, she alighted from the vehicle and saw "pure police coming from all angle."
Three police officers, including a policewoman, also came from the entrance in front of where she was, and the policewoman asked her if she had got shot and she confirmed it. The policewoman then asked her three times: 'Is nuh Mr. Bacchas dat?' and she told her yes.
Questioned by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn as to whether she, Mr. Bacchas or Mr. Brown had any guns or if she had seen any weapon in the car, she said no.
The other accused are Special Constable Metro McFarlane, and constables Kevin Williams, Kadian Smith and Donald Thomas.
