Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Absent witnesses on Monday forced the Crown to offer no further evidence against 32-year-old construction worker Leon Henry of Spanish Town, St Catherine. Henry went on trial last week in the Home Circuit Court for the murder of Philemon James Brown who was abducted by men from his home in Linstead, St Catherine, in 1998.

Brown was taken to Dyke Road in Portmore, St Catherine, where he was shot and his throat slashed.

It was alleged that Brown had made arrangements with 35-year-old hairdresser Audrey Drysdale for her to get a woman overseas to marry him.

The deal fell through and Brown demanded his money. Allegations were that Drysdale made arrangements with some men to murder Brown.

Henry and Drysdale were convicted in 2000 of the murder but the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial in 2003 because the trial judge failed to give proper direction to the jury on the discrepancies in the Crown's case.

Guilty plea

Drysdale pleaded guilty to the charge in 2005 and was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment.

Henry's case was heard by way of a 'paper' trial last week because the main witness for the Crown could not be located and the investigating officer was reported to be overseas.

Defence lawyers Valerie Neita- Robertson and Patrick Peterkin, who represented Henry, had objected to the statements being tendered in evidence.

The Crown was not successful in getting the statements admitted into evidence and Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Lisa Palmer offered no further evidence.

As a result, Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh on Monday directed the 12-member jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty against Henry who had been in custody since 1998.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com