Father says Anglin shot child

(CNS): The father of four-year-old Jeremiah Barnes said that he was in no doubt that Devon Anglin (left) was the gunman who shot and killed his son in West Bay last year. The first witness to give evidence in the crown’s case against Anglin, 31-year-old Andy Barnes told the court Monday that he had known the defendant all of his life and he recognised him clearly on the night he opened fire on the Barnes family, who were inside a white car parked at the pumps at Hell gas station. Barnes said he saw Anglin clearly because the handkerchief he was wearing was not completely covering his face when he first emerged from the side of the gas station brandishing a black handgun.

During his evidence Barnes tearfully recalled how he had asked everyone in the car if they were OK after some six or eight bullets had been fired at them. He told the court how his eldest son, Jemaul, had told him that Jeremiah was sleeping, and when Barnes turned round to see his children who were sitting in the back seat, he saw that his 4-year-old son, Jeremiah, had been shot in the eye. He explained how he drove straight to the West Bay police station where the officers called for an ambulance to take the child to hospital, where Jeremiah was pronounced dead.

Barnes told the court that he knew Anglin was the gunman because not only had he seen his face before he had pulled up the handkerchief which is visible on the CCTV but he also recognised the way Anglin walked and his distinctive eyes. “He has a bad eye; it’s crossed,” Barnes told the court as he gave his evidence in chief.

The witness revealed that he and Anglin had been friends for many years until Barnes moved from the Birch Tree Hill neighbourhood where they had grown up to Ms Daisy Lane and the Logswood area around 2006. He said after that the two men stopped speaking, but the witness did not say why their friendship had ended.

Barnes said he was sure they were no longer friends after Anglin threatened to kill him in January of last year at Batabano Plaza, around two weeks before the shooting at the Hell gas station. Barnes said that Anglin had approached him with what he said was “an attitude” and had shown him a firearm, which was wrapped in a cloth tucked into his waistband in a “rude way”. 

The witness said that Anglin had threatened to shoot him and in turn Barnes had told Anglin he would choke him with his chain if he came close enough. However, Barnes said that with police in the vicinity, he left the area and reported the incident at the West Bay police station.

Answering questions about the night of the killing, Barnes said he saw the grey Honda Accord, which he knew belonged to Darrell Evans, shoot past the gas station at speed and then abruptly stop, turn around and pull in and go behind the gas station shop. Barnes said he felt “kinda afraid” as he thought something was going on.

By this time, Barnes was sitting in his own car trying to get it started when the gunman came from the side of the ice machine. He told the court that his vision was good and he knew who it was. He described how the gunman opened fire and continued shooting at the car as Barnes pulled away and made his escape towards the police station.

The trial will continue Tuesday morning with cross examination of the key witness by Devon Anglin’s attorney, John Ryder QC.