Witness Testifies: Murder Of Yankee Rawlins

Taking the witness stand today [May 26] was a Crown witness who said that he had known David Cox, the alleged shooter, all his life; having grown up with him in Pembroke Parish.

32-year-old David Jahwell Cox of Club Road, Smiths is charged with premeditated murder and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence. He denies the charges.

On August 9th 2010, 47-year-old Raymond Troy “Yankee” Rawlins was gunned down in the entrance of Spinning Wheel nightclub on Court Street. Yesterday the court heard that Mr Rawlins was shot 16 times.

Led by lead Prosecutor Cindy Clarke in today’s proceedings, the witness told of being at the entrance door of the Spinning Wheel nightclub.

He explained that it was his birthday and he was hosting a party for guests whom he had invited. He had placed himself at the door and was giving out tickets to his invited guests. Mr Rawlins was a person who had been invited.

He testified that shortly after Mr Rawlins had entered, a man in a blue jacket had come in. Questioned closely by Prosecutor Clarke, the witness said that he recognized that man as David Cox.

He continued with his testimony saying that after Mr Rawlins had entered, the man in the blue jacket had entered. Shortly after the man in the blue jacket had entered, he had heard shots. Hearing the shots, he turned and ran deeper into the Spinning Wheel nightclub. This action was captured on the club’s CCTV.

Cross-examined by QC John Perry, and making full use of the double screen CCTV replay, the witness was asked to more precisely explain his actions on a second-by-second basis.

He sometimes looked at the video screen to his front, and sometimes at the screen set up behind him, which is marginally closer. Under cross examination by QC Perry, the witness admitted that he did not see the shooting. He had heard the shots.

Re-examining him, the lead Prosecutor asked how many shots he heard. The witness replied that he had: “Heard the first one, followed by many more.”

The Prosecutor also asked the witness to re-confirm that he had recognized David Cox as the man in the blue jacket and that this sighting and recognition was before he had heard the gun shots..

During the cross-examination phase, the defence who were operating the CCTV replay had some difficulty in matching the time sequences for the two cameras, usually referred to as Camera Two and Camera Three. At one point Justice Greaves commented that he’d like to go back to the one screen system.

Justice Greaves also commented on the freeze-frame stance capturing the witness in mid-stride as he raced to the back of the nightclub. Justice Greaves commented that he had an “Olympic stance”.

After the witness stepped down, the Jury were sent out and legal arguments began.

At 4:25pm the jury was recalled. The Crown, with a Police constable from the Police Armed Response Team, introduced  an exhibit of a black baseball cap. This cap was in a taped up brown paper bag which was opened by the PC only after he had donned latex gloves.

At 4:35pm Justice Greaves called a halt to proceedings. The case will resume in the morning.

#CrimeInBermuda #DavidCox #MagistratesAndSupremeCourt #Murders #YankeeRawlinsMurder

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