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Shawn Tyson trial: Jurors told of prison phone call | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A teenager accused of murdering two British tourists said on the phone that bullet casings found by police could "f*** him up", a Florida court heard. | |
The court was played the recording of the call Shawn Tyson, 17, made to his half brother from prison. | |
Mr Tyson denies murdering James Cooper, 25, of Warwickshire and James Kouzaris, 24, from Northampton, who were shot dead in Sarasota last April. | |
Mr Tyson allegedly told a friend he had killed the men, the court was told. | |
Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris were found shirtless and with their trousers round their thighs after being shot several times. | Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris were found shirtless and with their trousers round their thighs after being shot several times. |
Mr Tyson allegedly tried to rob the men who had drunkenly walked into a rundown public housing project in Newtown known as The Courts, the court has heard. | |
The defendant, who was 16 at the time of the deaths, has been charged as an adult. | |
'DNA on clothes' | |
Mr Tyson, who denies two counts of first-degree murder, faces life in prison without parole if convicted. | |
At the hearing on Friday, the court was played a call Mr Tyson made from Sarasota County Jail which was recorded by police. | |
In the conversation, Mr Tyson tells his half-brother "Somebody say they saw me out there..", adding: "they found the bullets". | |
Asked about the discovery, the defendant replies: "It's the only thing that's going to f*** me up." | |
The jury was told that Mr Tyson's DNA was found on James Cooper's trousers and was shown the bloodstained clothes. | |
Earlier, Detective John Todd told the court Mr Tyson allegedly told his friend Marvin Gaines he had killed the men. | |
Prosecutor Karen Frailling asked Mr Todd, the lead detective in the case: "Did Marvin Gaines also say that Shawn Tyson told him 'I killed those two guys, you know those two bodies back there, I did that?" | |
Mr Todd replied: "He said that Tyson escorted him into the apartment so that nobody else could hear and told him that he killed the two people at the back of the projects." | |
Mr Gaines told police the defendant had hidden the gun used under his house, then Mr Gaines had passed this to another friend, the court heard. | Mr Gaines told police the defendant had hidden the gun used under his house, then Mr Gaines had passed this to another friend, the court heard. |
Mr Cooper, of Hampton Lucy, and Mr Kouzaris were on holiday with Mr Cooper's family when they were killed in the early hours of 16 April. | |
The detective said "all the evidence pointed to an attempted robbery" as the reason the victims had their trousers pulled down. | |
Defence lawyer Carolyn Schlemmer told the court few people had been honest with police in the case - some had been threatened while some had been offered plea deals or benefits to encourage them to testify. | Defence lawyer Carolyn Schlemmer told the court few people had been honest with police in the case - some had been threatened while some had been offered plea deals or benefits to encourage them to testify. |
She asked Mr Todd: "Very few people in this case were initially truthful to you, correct?" | She asked Mr Todd: "Very few people in this case were initially truthful to you, correct?" |
The officer replied: "Correct." | |
Jurors heard Mr Gaines was told by police that it was in his interest to be on the side of Sarasota Police Department. | Jurors heard Mr Gaines was told by police that it was in his interest to be on the side of Sarasota Police Department. |
Mr Todd admitted saying: "You could be at the defence table with Shawn, is that where you want to be?" | Mr Todd admitted saying: "You could be at the defence table with Shawn, is that where you want to be?" |
The court was told Joshua Bane, a witness and friend of Mr Tyson's, was apparently not arrested over reports he was seen waving a gun around the housing project area. | The court was told Joshua Bane, a witness and friend of Mr Tyson's, was apparently not arrested over reports he was seen waving a gun around the housing project area. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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