(Jamaica Observer) Lescene Edwards, the former cop who was in 2013 sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Aldonna Harris-Vasquez in 2003, has had his conviction overturned by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the final Court of Appeal of Jamaica, in delivering the judgement Monday said “a substantial miscarriage of justice has occurred and that the conviction of Edwards (a former Constable) cannot stand”.
Harris-Vasquez died on September 5, 2003 from a single gunshot wound to the head. Despite a suicide note being found near her body, the case had centred on whether Edwards, who was arrested and charged with her murder, fired the fatal shot or if it was self-inflicted.
The prosecution’s handwriting expert had testified during the trial that Edwards wrote the purported suicide note. The defence’s own handwriting expert was inconclusive in his analysis of the ‘suicide’ note and Edwards’ writing.
