The Crown's case against a man charged with 12 counts of manslaughter has been thrown into a tailspin as the lone eyewitness cannot be found.

The accused, Norman Beckford, of Negril, Westmoreland, will still have to appear in court on November 6.

Sergeant Osbourne Fearon of the Spanish Town police Traffic Department told Resident Mag-istrate Marcia Dunbar-Greene that he had encountered difficulties locating the witness. He told the court that the last known address of the man was somewhere in Trelawny.

The sergeant told the court that the police had made several attempts to find the witness but those efforts have so far proven futile.

Allegations before the court are that on June 20, 1996, Beckford was driving a Toyota Hiace minibus carrying 12 passengers from Brown's Town, St Ann.

Upon reaching a section of the Bog Walk gorge in St Catherine, he reportedly overtook a truck and lost control of the vehicle, which plunged into the Rio Cobre, killing all the passengers.

The dead were Roy Lawrence, Odaine Tait, Patrice Campbell, Javid Wilmoth, Annmarie Allen-Atkins, Kayon Grey, Tracey-Ann Foster, Richard Grandison, Paul Brown, Christine Wedderburn, Michelle Smith and Neil Francis, all of St Ann addresses.

Beckford, who fled the scene, turned himself in 12 years later in England.

He was subsequently deported and slapped with 12 counts of manslaughter. He is being represented by attorney-at-law Jean Williams.

rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com