At Essequibo Assizes
BARTICA labourer Kitson Schroeder, 24, was freed of the offence of murder at the Essequibo Assizes on a no-case submission.
Justice Franklin Holder upheld the no-case submission made by Attorney-at-law Ms. Sonia Parag, last Thursday.
The accused was originally charged for murder in that he, on 27th February, 2005, at Bartica, in Essequibo, murdered Winky Adolphus.
The preliminary inquiry was held at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court and the accused was committed to stand trial for manslaughter.   The Director of Public Prosecutions indicted him for murder.
At the trial which commenced on the 10th May, evidence led by the prosecution revealed that the deceased was at the Gardens Disco at Second, Avenue, Bartica,  where he was fatally stabbed.
No evidence was led as to who inflicted the wound.   As a result, defence counsel, Ms. Sonia Parag, submitted that there was no evidence connecting the accused with the crime, as there were many other persons there with whom the accused had contact.
Also that the evidence could not  yield a conviction by a reasonable jury properly directed.
The trial judge agreed that the evidence was weak and tenuous and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.  The accused was discharged.