Daymeion Millington, one of the five men charged in the brutal robbery of Justice Nicola Pierre and her family, yesterday accused a police witness of torturing him in order to get a signed confession.
Millington made the accusation while questioning Detective Sergeant Abosola Flatts, who took the stand before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court to corroborate testimony that had been given by a fellow officer.
Millington, Nicholas Narine, Premnauth Samaroo, Warren McKenzie, and Anthony David are on trial for robbing the judge and her husband, Mohammed Chan, of cash and articles amounting to over $3.6 million, as well as shooting at security guard Ron Peters on July 9, 2015.
Flatts said he was present when Sergeant Denaise Adams took the caution statement from Millington at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), at Eve Leary.
According to Flatts, Millington signed his name to the statement that was taken by Adams. He said Millington wanted him to write it because he couldn’t read and write well. He added that at no time did he or Adams promise, threaten, force or bribe Millington into giving his statement.
He said too that based on the statement that was taken from Millington, they escorted him to the scene of the crimes at Montrose, where he pointed out where he had been standing on the night of the attack and where now dead fugitive Rolston Morrison was standing when he was shooting at the guard.
Adams had earlier testified that Millington had told him, “Officer is not me, is Morrison, Grandfather, Dwight, Yankee and two other males…,” when he was confronted about his involvement in the attack.
But Millington, who is representing himself, confronted Flatts with the accusation that he had shocked him with a taser to his heart and private parts. He also told the court that the officer told him that if he did not sign the statement, they would let him go and then kill him. He then said “the other officer [Adams] told him [Flatts] that there is no need to do that, he [Millington] would have to sign the statement and he would go home,” the accused added.
When asked to answer if he did any of those things to Millington, Flatts denied the claims, while stressing that he never threatened to kill the accused and that he had not tasered him into signing the statement.
Also testifying yesterday was Detective Patrick Benjamin, who had recovered spent shells from Montrose on the morning of the attack.
The trial continues on February 2.
