Dorian Dailey admits to striking his father with a cutlass says Investigating Officer

On day one of week two of the murder trial of Dorian Dailey, Investigating Officer Corporal Jerry Frank concluded his evidence to the court whilst pathologist Dr. Yaima Breachers Munez, commenced her testimony.

Dorian is on trial for the murder of his father Maurice Murry Dailey which allegedly happened between January 9, 2017, and February 21, 2017. The 62-year-old man is said to have sustained multiple injuries to his head and neck allegedly inflicted upon him by his then 23-year-old son. Following the alleged incident on January 9, 2017, Maurice was admitted to the then Princess Margaret Hospital until his death on February 21, 2017.

In his three-day evidence before the court, Corporal Frank, the ninth witness for the prosecution, said that on January 9, 2017, when he was stationed at the Laplaine Police Station, a report was referred to him. He then proceeded to the Laplaine Health Centre and following a conversation with the district doctor, Nebiyu Bekele, he saw Maurice Murry Dailey laying on a bed with bleeding wounds to his head, neck, and back area.

Shortly after the officer went to Grand Fond where he met the victim’s son, Evans Dailey, who pointed out something to him. In his observation of a “bushy area with agricultural crops”, Corporal Frank said he saw an abandoned
building. The investigating officer further testified of his sighting of a pair of blue jean pants, a white long-sleeve shirt, short pants, and a pair of slippers on a flight of steps. He said all items appeared to have what looked like blood.
According to him, he cordoned off the area with crime scene tape and then proceeded to another area in Grand Fond where he met the accused, Dorian Dailey.

After introducing himself to Dorian, he informed him of the ongoing investigation of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) caused to Maurice Murry Dailey, to which the accused replied, “no I love my father I would never do anything to hurt him.”

Dorian was however arrested and transported to the Laplaine Police Station. Later that day Corporal Frank said, he went back to Grand Fond with the accused and Inspector Fixton Henderson where photographs were taken of the
alleged scene and the items were collected and placed in an evidence bag which was secured at Laplaine Police Station.

About 30 minutes later, he returned to Grand Fond with the accused and on arrival, met Ferdinand Roberts who informed the officer of his discovery of a knife in his dasheen field.

“He took us to the area where the knife was and, on the knife, I [noticed] what appeared to be blood. When questioned about the knife, the accused responded, “that knife look like my father own.”

In his continued testimony to the court on May 19, Corporal Frank testified about an interview conducted with Dorian at the Laplaine Police Station on January 9, 2017.

He said that the accused admitted to him during the said interview that he and his father occasionally shared an amiable relationship and on the night of January 8, 2017, they were arguing because “my father was telling people my business.”

When questioned about the injuries sustained by his father, Dorian denied any involvement in inflicting the wound on the 62-year-old man. Corporal Frank further disclosed to the court that on February 23, 2017, he received a call from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of PMH and later on March 9, 2017, he went to the morgue where an autopsy was conducted on the body of the deceased Maurice Murry Dailey.

He testified that on March 20, 2017, an accused statement was taken from Dorian during his now-murder investigation.

At the CID in the presence of another prosecution witness, Anthony Henderson, Corporal Frank said Dorian stated, “I want to tell you what happen.”

According to the statement read to the court, the accused stated, “My father tell me he doh want to come there so I tell him I get a vibes already in jail. I talk to him like I was his father, I talk to him hard so he take a coal pot and shot it
behind me, he send it on me. I tell him he cannot do that and he tell me one of us must die.”

In the said statement to the officer Dorian further disclosed that he left his father and upon return, Maurice was still arguing. He apologized to him, but his father insisted that he wanted him to go to jail.

He said Maurice followed him to his home and threw his belongings in a precipice.

Dorian stated, he later saw his father on a track, and Maurice began flashing him with a flashlight which caused an argument. Maurice then went for “two big stones” and continued to argue with him.

“I just swing the cutlass two times and it take him in his head, when he go down on the floor I tell him daddy I am sorry I never want to do you that.”

The statement further recorded Dorian as stating, he carried his father from the dasheen field and placed him under a pear tree. “He ask me for some water so I go for it for him. I tell him daddy I love you I never wanted to do you that. And left him.”

On the final day of his testimony, —May 22, 2023,—Corporal Frank stated on March 20, 2017, along with the accused, he went to Grand Fond on the scene of the alleged incident where he was further questioned. There, Dorian again admitted to striking his father on the head twice with a cutlass. He also pointed to an area in the field where he dropped the said cutlass.

Following the evidence of the Investigating Officer, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Sherma Dalrymple, who is leading the State’s case attempted to tender the items found on the said crime scene as evidence to the court. However Corporal Frank was not the author of the notes written on the bag hence the court said he could not honestly identify the contents therein. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Darius Jones, who is assisted by Peter Alleyne, the officer admitted that none of the items collected (that allegedly had blood) were tested.