Caution statement tells of gruesome details

AS the “South Central Hotel Murder” trial continued in the Georgetown High Court on Tuesday, Detective Sergeant Keith Conway testified that he was present as a witness when the caution statement was penned by retired Sergeant Philip Bowman.

He told the court that during 2013, he was a corporal stationed at Brickdam CID and relative to a report of an alleged murder committed on Joseph Jagdeo, who was found dead on November 14, 2014 at the South Central Hotel, he assisted in the investigation.

The police witness said that on November 30, 2013, he took the accused Brian Leitch to the CID at Brickdam. He was seated and the allegation of murder was put to him by retired Sergeant Bowman in my presence.

Sergeant Conway stated that at this point the accused was cautioned in accordance with the Judges’ Rules and he said, “Offica, I don’t know anything about any murder.”

The witness added that the accused was then placed in custody.

Sergeant Conway told the court that on December 1, 2013, at about 11:00hrs in his presence as a witness, Sergeant Bowman and the accused were in the CID office at Brickdam Police Station when he made an oral statement and elected his colleague to write it at dictation speed.

The witness added that the statement was made by the accused in relation to the alleged murder of hotelier Joseph Jagdeo.

After an application made by state prosecutor Mandel Moore and which was granted by the trial judge, the police witness was shown the caution statement after which he read from same.

Sergeant Conway reading form the caution statement said, “The morning Joseph came in my room and tell me to leave, I get vex then tie he hands, tie he mouth and push he under the bed. I locked the room and tek the key and throw it over on the bed then tek he cell phone from the office and left. I sorry fuh wah happen.”

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh also took the stand on Tuesday when he gave the cause of death as haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head compounded by suffocation and compression to the neck.

Dr Singh was deemed and expert in pathology and said he conducted the post-mortem on the body of Joseph Jagdeo on November 15, 2013.

The post-mortem report was marked, tendered and admitted as evidence in the trial.

According to the state’s case, between November 13 and 14, 2013, it is alleged that the accused Brian Leitch called “Big Foot”, murdered hotelier Joseph Jagdeo called “Joey” at his own place of business, South Central Hotel located on South Road.

In his opening address, state prosecutor Mandel Moore told the court that between November 13 and 14, 2013, the accused allegedly murdered the deceased and stuffed his body under a bed.

The state is represented by Mandel Moore and Lisa Cave, while the defence attorneys are Lawrence Harris and Hewley Griffith.