A man gained his freedom yesterday in the Gun Court. Freed was 31-year-old labourer Leebert Thompson of a Kingston address. He was accused of shooting at the police in Southside, downtown Kingston, on Nomination Day of August 7, 2007.

The two police witnesses maintained that they knew him for more than a year at the time of the shooting incident.

Justice Courtney Daye, in freeing Thompson, said having regard to all the evidence he could not be sure of the guilt of the accused because the diary entry was a material discrepancy in the case and ultimately affected the issue of identification.

Thompson who was accused of being involved in a gun battle with the police was freed of wounding with intent and illegal possession of firearm. The Crown led evidence from two policemen that they responded to a call that there was gunfire in Southside. On arrival about 1 p.m., they were greeted with gunfire by a group of men including Thompson who they knew before as 'Crime'. One of the policemen was shot twice and had to be rushed to hospital.

During the trial in the Gun Court, defence lawyer Peter Champagnie brought to the court's attention a station diary in which the policemen had given an account of the incident. Champagnie pointed out that although the policemen said they knew the accused for more than a year, his name was not mentioned in the report in the diary.

One of the policeman said under cross-examination that he could have omitted the name because he was shot and was in a lot of pain. The other policeman said he was not sure if he gave the name when he was making his report.

Thompson, in his defence, denied shooting at the police. He said at the time of the incident he was on a motorcade and was in the company of the Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the area. He called the councillor who supported his defence.