Stebin Valentine completes testimony in man slaughter trial
Dominica News Online - Monday, July 9th, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Stebin Valentine, a Portsmouth man accused of killing Charlesworth Christopher Jr, completed his testimony Monday morning at the Roseau High Court.
Valentine who laid the bible on his chest last Thursday in court, began his testimony by claiming he and the deceased were very good friends.
He explained to the court that he knew Junior (Christopher) very well and at one point was his neighbour.
Valentine stated that he and Junior engaged in various fun activities which included playing football, shooting birds, catching crabs and having “cook-ups” on the beach while going to high school.
On 29 August 2009 at about 11:00 am Valentine said that he was in the company of Samuel alias Kool-Aid, Randy Phillip, Ashton Joseph and some other people outside of Jr’s house getting ready to attend a party at a house in Buck.
According to the accused he entered the party and immediately began collecting glasses and fetching drinks for the people he was with and had a few hard alcoholic drinks himself.
Valentine said that he then mingled with Junior’s aunt Nadine Laville who was in the presence of his mother, then returned outside to socialize with the people he originally came with.
The accused then said that while standing around the van which brought them to other party he noticed a man standing in a urinating position close to the bushes.
“He looked side to side and stooped down putting his hand to the ground then walked away into the party. To me something was not right.”
Valentine then said that he moved across to where the man was standing, put his hand to the ground like he did and felt something cold and hard and noticed that it was a small gun.
According to him he stuck the gun in the small top pocket of his jeans and returned to the van where he and the others soon left the party for Lagoon, Portsmouth.
At Lagoon Valentine claimed that he went home to put down a bottle of Appleton that he had taken from the party and picked up a calabash with some weed and walked back to Junior’s house.
There he met with Khaddijah, Francine, Ashton, Kelvin, Randy and the deceased.
He said Christopher was “sitting on the concrete” and he sat on the step, but Francine who was seated on a stool above Christopher eventually got up and left with Randy Phillip so he replaced her on the stool.
“I’m sitting on the stool, Junior is sitting on the slab like an arm’s reach away, the bash is in my laps, my fingers is in the bash and I just remember I find a gun; it just came back to my mind”.
The accused claimed that since he and Jr were “tight” he found no problem in showing him the gun.
He proceeded to say that as he reached into the pocket of his jeans Jr was looking up at him and he was stretching out the gun to Jr.
“I am giving it to him and he said what! The time was moving normal all the time I was a bit intoxicated and I just remember veng! It sounded like thunder!”
Valentine said that Jr’s hand was still up and started to ease back and he started to feel funny.
“I sat there and I did not know what to do then someone started to scream and I dropped the gun in the bash and started to run.”
The defendant stated that he was “petrified and because he panicked he ran.
The defendant was later found in the heights of Tan Tan where officer Hilaire met him lying on the ground.
According to Valentine he wanted to get rid of the “pain” so he put the bash with the gun inside down on the ground.
He was brought to the road by the officer and brought back to the police station.
When asked if he shot Charlesworth Charles Jr the accused responded “ I did not shoot Junior I do not know who shot him.”
The Judge is expected to address the nine member jury on Tuesday morning, after which the jurors will retire to give their verdict.
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27 Comments
it very interesting to knw that junior was your friend…..but up to this present date ….the gun has yet to be found….
If that was the truth why he didn’t say it to the policemen who arrested him point blank? Why run away? Garcon If I accidentally shot “MY FRIEND” MY GOOD FRIEND” I dunno nah, but I would try to pull that bullet out…
I don’t believe much of that story, some parts may be true but i believe mister had enough time in the jail on the block amongst other criminals like himself to make up that story. At that point after having spent time in the cell, you would say ANYTHING to be freed. None sense.
Too many guns in the wrong hands and what they do kill innocent people like charlesworth,he had all his life ahead of him but thru one’s negligence he’s no longer here to tell his mom how much he loves her.what more explanation can be given for the young man’s death.after the incident he ran to hide the gun to cover his tracks but it’s a good thing god is greater…
If it was an accident, then why run away from the scene. Any concerned friend would have stayed and administer first aid immediately following the incident. Sorry, story not credible.
in that situations not knowing what to do and you know you are in trouble…..that can happen
He panic, that is why he ran.
dno why aren’t you posting my comments? stupes
Find it or not, the fact remains that you had allowed yourself to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm contrary to the firearms act.
You shot your friend with an unlicensed firearm.
You have just strengthened the prosecution’s case on a charge of Manslaughter young man.
I think it’s clear that the man accidently shot his friend. It’s also very sad. He was in shock and disbelief so he ran to distance himself from the event hoping it would just ‘go away’.
I don’t believe the part about where he got the gun from. He probably already had it for quite some time. Chances are that this gun was probaby a converted replica where the safety does not work.
I’ve always known that you NEVER point a gun at an individual NOT EVEN AS A JOKE. You may think it’s unloaded but there may also be one in the chamber. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
He should not say he didn’t shoot Jr that is a not guilty plea, he would have been better off keeping with his story that he was intoxicated and may have accidentally shot his friend.
But i support your point Jayson, Guns don’t kill people, it is people who kill people!!!
I know stebin personally and I strongly believe with my God Given heart that he is talking the truth, but guess what? A man life is 6 fit under ground and a family out there is crying out for justice, while most have seen and said that it was an accident gone bad, i firmly believe that Stebin should pay for the crime and serve the time. Stebin was a promising student, friend, and family man and sure he has a lot of potential, but everyone chooses his or her destiny by knowingly choosing the path they go.
I believe him,God bless the family of the both men and I pray that God will save stebbin for the better..
If they were friends and they never had problem,they did their stuff together he wont just kill him like that..
he is really taking it hard,he is not the stebbin i knew when i was goin to pss
Dominicans need to read before they jump to judgement. The article stated that the night of the murder he stated “i did not shot junior i do not know who shot him.” And the in the court he said “I am giving it to him and he said what! The time was moving normal all the time I was a bit intoxicated and I just remember veng! It sounded like thunder!”…..So stop saying that he lying…it clearly states that he panicked the night of the shooting…we all would have if it was us
can somebody tell the judge mista damn lieing!frabricated story.my god not even zang and yellow will believe this crap.what he doing with a unliscence firearm.where he put ther gun? no bloody escuse.
That is a story the man make. I dont believe he just got the gun on the ground. Neither do i believe he dont know who shot the guy. That is just story made up
It was an honest mistAke on the part of stebbin,only god can save his soul.junior is gone we can’t bring him back but for my part stebbin has already paid for his crime,I’ve seen him lately and he doesn’t look like himself.
He paid for his crime? how? when? where? I think they need to make an example of people like him, he is a young man that has common sense, he knows right from wrong and he definitely knows a toy gun from a real one therefore he should have known that what he had in his hand was not and toy and he should not have been playing with it. If his story is in fact the truth, when he saw it was a gun the person left on the ground, why he did not leave it alone on make an uproar for others to see? why he just put it in his pocket like a normal thing? seems like that boy was accustom of handling guns and he did not get the gun as he said. In spite of all this, through his carelessness because I do not believe he meant to kill the other guy, but the fact remains that he should not have the gun and because he did, someone lost their life. People need to respect life and take responsibility for their action, acidentally or intentionally.
it was a mistake and the jury knows it…. stebbin its GOD AND YOU NOW!!! i wish you well..
domininca let us stop kill people family and live in a good counry
domininca let us stop kill people family and live in a good counry
Boy mr has a tendency to lie n that is exactly wat he is doin his story DOES NOT add up!!
All u playing with stebbin? The man well educated and smart. He just go west lately and started effing around. The man story well put together. It’s up to the jurors and the judge to decide now but……Jah know who kill d man and will deal with the person.
This time he talk the truth, i believe him, i know him and if thats what he says happen, i believe him, since that night i was wondering what he did with the gun and y he ran…. well i believe it was an accident but he has to pay for his actions, poor boys, feel sorry for both of dem
I feel there is some truth in Stebin story. DPP be considerate and come to a judgement that is fair to the young man
or take the gun and dispose of it…? The Idiot thought he found Gold. Guns are not something to play with. Tell them little boys to grow up.
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