Murder victim’s mother continues testimony after forced adjournment
THE mother of murder victim Travis Cleon Fraser testified at the trial of his stepfather, before Justice Brassington Reynolds and the mixed Berbice Assizes jury, on Monday.
Pamela Fraser said the accused, Albert Campbell called Sobers, armed with a gun and a torchlight, awoke her from sleep in a chair at her Liverpool Corentyne home, around midnight between January 22 and 23, 2004, the night the crime was committed.
The witness said the man in the dock had a gun attached to a black strap, which appeared to be a pistol with a shortened barrel.
The woman, who mothered four of her seven children for the prisoner, recalled that she had retired with her sons, Travis alias ‘Black Boy’, Keith Scott nicknamed ‘Uncle Boy’, Milton Scott, Owasie Fraser, Tierese Fraser, Samuel Campbell and Andrew Campbell, before she was awakened by the accused.
“He was close to me. I could have touched him. Nothing blocked my vision,” she swore, in the testimony against her reputed husband, who is indicted for the unlawful killing of his 20-year-old stepson.
The witness told the Court she had known the alleged killer for 14 years and, although they shared a relationship, they did not live together, as he resided with another woman a few streets away in the same village.
She remembered the accused telling her, that night, to open the front door and go outside but, prior to doing so, she called out to ‘Uncle Boy’ but her repeated calls drew no response from that son.
She said she then ran into the lone bedroom occupied by the boys and saw one of them lying on the bed but he did not respond when she touched him.
She said the accused, who had accompanied her into the room, said: “Uncle Boy, Uncle Boy, you calling Uncle Boy, I done with he already.”
Expletives
Led through evidence-in-chief by State Prosecutor Dionne Mc Cammon, the witness said, despite what she was told, she continued to shout ‘Uncle Boy’ until the accused, using expletives, commanded her: “Go and open the door and go outside.”
She said she went to the door but retraced her steps to the bedroom and, again, shouted for ‘Uncle Boy’ and the accused reiterated: “You hear what I say, I done with he already.”
She said the accused was standing behind her with the gun in his left hand and the flashlight in his right hand, whilst she kept shaking her motionless son.
She said the accused shone the flashlight in the darkened room, allowing her to see blood and a hole measuring an inch in diameter on ‘Uncle Boy’.
Shortly after, the witness said the accused, who is 25 years her senior, using more expletives, instructed her: “Open the door and go outside. Go along outside, go along outside, fast.”
She said, after running a short distance, she fell and, on looking back, observed the accused standing on her steps and, shortly after, she heard a gunshot.
She said she remained in the nearby bushes and only moved from there after the accused walked away from her home, a flat old building with many holes.
She said the house does not have electricity but there was a lamp and reflecting light from  a neighbour’s residence.
She said, she visited a relative and went to the mortuary later that day when she ascertained that it was her eldest son, Travis, who had died.
Cross-examined by State-appointed Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud, the witness said: “I was in love with the accused prior to bearing children for him. However, when I found out that my son was dead, I was very upset. I learnt that my son died from shock due to gunshot injuries.”
Earlier the judge took a forced adjournment, as a result of the stench emanating from the carcass of a newborn foal and, on the resumption of the continuing trial, Fraser said she never knew the accused had a firearm during their relationship.
While the obnoxious scent prevailed, the judge adjourned for 17 minutes, because a member of the jury was unable to bear it.
Justice Reynolds, who covered his nostrils with his white handkerchief ordered the marshal to enquire the source of the unpleasant smell and the latter reported that a mare had delivered just outside the fenced concrete courtyard, some days before but the newborn died and the carcass remained at the location despite efforts by its owners to remove it on Saturday.
A Court staffer reported that the New Amsterdam Municipality tried, unsuccessfully, to get the dead animal away and dogs were seen devouring the remains on Monday afternoon.