…accused Desmond to know fate on Monday

JUSTICE Franklyn Holder, presiding in the Niranjan murder trial, will sum up the evidence to the jury on Monday morning, February 3, following which he would hand the case over to them for consideration and verdict.

Parsram Lalchand, called “Desmond”, who is facing a retrial, is said by the prosecution to be one of six men who had chased and beaten Niranjan unconscious on July 29, 2008 following a row over a reportedly stolen bicycle. Niranjan later died from injuries he had received, resulting in Desmond and others being charged with his murder.

The prosecution, led by state counsel Miss Dhanika Singh in association with Miss Mercedes Thompson, is alleging that the accused was one of the men who had been seen beating Niranjan; but the accused, Parsram Lalchand, who is being represented by Attorney-at-law Mr. Huckumchand, has pleaded not guilty to the offence, and his lawyer has called as a defence witness a prisoner named Babzie Singh, called ‘Solex’, who has sworn that he and his three sons were the ones who had beaten Niranjan.

Singh added that “Desmond” was present when an argument erupted over a bicycle which was found at “Desmond’s” home, but he said that when the fight had started, “Desmond” was not there, he was at home with his wife.

However, the prosecutor has declared the defence story inconsistent, and has urged the jury to return a verdict consistent with the accepted evidence.

Mr. Huckumchand has likened this case to the Royal Readers’ story about Llewellyn and his dog, his child and the wolf.
He told the jury that the child was placed in a cradle and the dog was left to watch the child. When Llewellyn returned, he was confronted with an upturned cradle, and did not see the child, but saw the dog with blood on its mouth. Without further examination, he drew his sword and killed the dog, only to find out later that the child was safe and well beneath the upturned cradle and not far away was the dead wolf which had been killed by the dog.
On the other hand, the final words of the prosecutrix to the jury were to the effect that they should return a verdict that was unbiased and without sympathy for Llewellyn, his dog, his child, or the wolf, the relatives of the accused or those of the deceased; but a verdict that is in keeping with the evidence given in the court before them.

The trial ends on Monday.

(By George Barclay)