THE Buxton murder trial involving accused Squince Mc Lennon, called ‘Killer’, and Trian Sumner, called ‘Tatie’, began yesterday at the Demerara Assizes before Justice Roxanne George and a mixed jury. The defence is being represented by Attorney-at-law, Mr. Basil Williams, while the prosecution is being conducted by Mrs. Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, in association with Miss Shavani Balcharan.
The accused are indicted for the offence of murder committed on Odingo Bryan on the 9th of January, 2004.
In her opening address to the jury, the prosecutor promised to lead evidence to show that on the day in question, Odingo Bryan and his friend Errol Adams, called ‘Dynamite’, were riding Bryan’s motor cycle sometime during the day at Middle Walk, Buxton, on the East Coast of Demerara, when they were stopped and beaten by two men with guns.
Errol Adams was wounded but managed to escape; and even as he ran he heard  a loud explosion.
Bryan, a 28-year old taxi driver; was later found by the police lying in a pool of blood at Middle Walk, Buxton.
A post mortem performed  by Dr. Nehaul Singh revealed  that death was caused by perforation of the liver and lung, and gun-shot  injuries.
The prosecutor told the jury that during the course of the trial, they would be better acquainted with the facts of the case and the investigations of the police which led to Squince Mc Lennon and Trian Sumner being charged with the offence of murder.
According to the prosecutor, it is therefore the prosecution’s case that the two  accused murdered Odingo Bryan and it is the prosecution’s burden to prove this to the jury.
“Although  this is a case of murder, neither sympathy nor prejudice should be allowed to influence your approach to the evidence or your assessment of the witnesses”, she told the jury.
The hearing continues today.