Judge to sum up to jury
THIRTY-seven  year old murder accused Compton Fernandes called ‘Mad Man’ for the unlawful  killing of Latchman Seeram called ‘Coolie Boy’   on July 3,  2005,  will know his fate today.
Justice James Bovell-Drakes,  the trial judge  is expected to sum up the evidence to the jury today.
State Prosecutor, Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, directed by  lawyer Prithima Kissoon and associated with Savina Balcharan, closed the prosecution’s case which disclosed that the accused had beaten ‘Coolie Boy’ to death for allegedly stealing garments from a vendor.
But Attorney-at-Law  Glenn Hanoman for the defence  told the jury in his address that  his client was not the killer but had been connected with the crime because of the stigma  ‘Mad man’  which is attributed to him .
And, the lawyer called as  a witness for the accused, Government’s  Psychiatrist,  Dr. Bhairo  Harry, who testified that accused was his patient prior to the alleged crime in  2005.  The accused  at the time was suffering from a  mental ailment.
At the close of the Prosecution’s case, Defence counsel made  a no-case submission in the absence of the jury  which was overruled by the judge, who called on the accused for a defence.
The accused began his defence with an unsworn statement from the dock. He testified that prior to the allegation in 2005  he was a member of doctor Harry’s clinic.
According to  him, on the day in question he was at his Leopold Street home when Mark Rodney, a vendor turned up at his home with three other men and invited  him to accompany them  to Albouystown to  collect a man who had stolen  some pants from vendor Rodney.
Fernandes said that on arrival in Albouystown the other men started to beat the man who was taken to Commerce Street where he (accused) cuffed Latchman twice in the belly.  He said that after this, the other men continued to beat Latchman who was on the ground.  He then left and went home only to be picked up later by the police,  to whom he gave a statement.
Accused said that he was being tried for an offence for which he was innocent.
The trial is continuing.