Neesa Gopaul murder trial… Police witness admits no evidence to charge accused at time of arrest
‘BRUTALLY KILLED’: Neesa Gopaul
‘BRUTALLY KILLED’: Neesa Gopaul

THE trial of Jarvis “Barry” Small and his former lover Bibi Shareerma Gopaul, charged with the brutal murder of 16 year-old Queen’s College Student, Neesa Gopaul, continued yesterday before Justice Navindra Singh and a panel of mixed jurors.Small and Gopaul are facing charges which state that between September 23 and October 2, 2010 they murdered Neesa Gopaul, the daughter of Bibi Gopaul; filed a false missing persons report; and disposed of the body by placing it in a suitcase and dumping it in a creek at Madewini on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, where it was found tied to a pair of dumbbells anchoring it.

The trial yesterday continued with the cross- examination of Superintendent of Police Hugh Jessemy by defence counsels Lyndon Amsterdam who is appearing along with Glen Hanoman, Bernard De Santos SC, and Zanna Frank for Small and George Thomas who is representing the number two accused, BibiGopaul.
Under cross-examination by Amsterdam, Jessemy said that when he joined the investigating team he was briefed by then Assistant Superintendent of Police Paul about the investigation, but was not told if there were any suspects. He confirmed that even with the absence of evidence the police still wanted to hold the two accused in custody as a result of information that was obtained. Jessemy said that Small had admitted ownership of the dumbbells that were found tied around the suitcase containing the body of young Neesa Gopaul, but claimed that they had been left at the home of Bibi Gopaul. Led further by Amsterdam, Jessemy admitted that at the time (October 6, 2010) when he applied to the Chief Justice for additional time to hold the two accused in custody, there was no evidence that the two accused had caused the death of Neesa. However, Jessemy explained that they were held because of the information that had been obtained during the investigation, further, Small had admitted that he knew who killed the young Gopaul.
Jessemy under further cross-examination admitted that the police, up to the time charges had been instituted against the two accused, had not been able to ascertain when (date and time), where or how Neesa was killed. He said that even though the police were certain that the body recovered was that of Neesa, they still exploited every avenue to have a positive identification. Questioned further on other possible suspects into the death that the police had arrested and/or questioned, Jessemy said that he was unaware that anyone else had been questioned or arrested. Amsterdam, however, pointed to the wife of the number one accused Small as one of the persons arrested during the investigation. Jessemy under questioning from Amsterdam admitted that no investigation had been done to determine if Neesa Gopaul had visited the Soesdyke-Linden Highway with any person or persons during the period she went missing and when her body was found; neither did the police check with her friends and known associates nor with any of her electronic devices to determine whether they were used during that period.
Under examination by Thomas, Jessemy further admitted that the police did not seek to speak with the younger sister of the victim to determine if she knew anything about the death of her sister. He admitted that CCTV footage from the Demerara Harbour Bridge was reviewed, but they were able to see only the car that it is suspected took the murdered teen to the Linden Highway and that car was subsequently processed by the Police Crime Scene Unit.
Jessemy further admitted that Bibi Gopaul had not been cautioned before giving her statement because she was not a suspect at that time. He could not say if the police had visited the home or the Gym owned by Small and conducted any investigation. Also, he could not say if the police had questioned Small about the items left at Gopaul’s house, or when he had last seen the dumbbells. Thomas concluded that the police to date were still unable to determine who had killed Neesa Gopaul, how, where and when she was killed. The defence is contending that the charges were laid against the two accused because they were pressured to do so by the media and the public who wanted someone charged for the gruesome murder. The trial continues today.

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