A murder victim was chased and shot three times, at least once in the back, a jury was told yesterday.

Kiari Tucker was accused in Supreme Court of killing Morlan Steede and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence.

The 22-year-old, from Warwick, denied both charges, which the court heard were alleged to have happened on November 3, 2017 in the Deepdale area.

Karen King, for the Crown, said in her opening remarks to jurors that Mr Tucker was seen in the neighbourhood at about 8pm on the night of the killing.

She added the prosecution’s case was that Mr Tucker was in the Deepdale area with someone else on a motorbike for “a little while” and left later.

Ms King said that at about 9.40pm, Mr Steede was in Deepdale “hanging out” with other people.

She added a witness had said in a statement he had seen Mr Tucker in the area. Ms King said the witness added he had later received a phone call to advise him to leave the vicinity.

Ms King said: “Shortly after, Mr Tucker was again seen in the area, he had a handgun this time and there was a chase. He chased the deceased. The deceased ran and he was shot in the back, and he was shot no less than three times.”

Ms King told jurors that Mr Steede ran from One Way Deepdale in Pembroke and collapsed on nearby Parson’s Road.

She said a police search was carried out at Mr Tucker’s home the next day but officers did not find him.

Ms King added: “They did find him at that residence but in another apartment and he was hiding in a closet.”

The prosecutor told the court that Mr Tucker’s hands were swabbed while some of his clothes were taken for analysis. Ms King said: “The testing came back and there were particles characteristic of gunshot residue on his clothing.”

Detective Constable Jewel Hayward later told the court he was on duty on November 3, 2017 when he was “called to an alleged shooting scene”.

The crime scene investigator said he saw a maroon house on Deepdale Road East where playing cards were strewn about and colleagues had marked out what he believed to be blood.

Mr Hayward said his colleagues also pointed out “what appeared to be a spent bullet next to a Red Bull can” on the same street and he took several photographs.

The witness told the court he went to Parson’s Road where there were more red stains that looked like blood on the road.

Mr Hayward said he later attended the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he took photographs as an autopsy was carried out on Mr Steede.

He explained that during the post-mortem examination three intact bullets were recovered from the body.

Mr Hayward, cross-examined by defence counsel Susan Mulligan, confirmed he was not present when the alleged crime scene was marked with yellow tape.

Ms Mulligan asked: “As far as when it was put down or whether the scene had been preserved prior to it being put down, you’re not able to speak to that?”

Mr Hayward said: “That’s correct.”

The trial continues.

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