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At Berbice Assizes…
THE retrial of Albert Campbell called Sobers, for the murder of his stepson, Travis Cleon Fraser alias ‘Black Boy’, was aborted at the Berbice Assizes on Wednesday. That happened after Justice Brassington Reynolds was informed that a juror sitting in the case is facing an indictable charge of indecent assault.
The juror, who was identified as Sundaram Samaroo, is charged with committing the offence on August 14, 2009.
Following the adjournment on Tuesday afternoon, he had requested permission from the judge to attend a personal matter at Reliance Magistrate Court, in East Canje, having previously told a Court staffer that he had a traffic case there.
However, on the resumption, the juror was absent and, when he returned, the judge conducted an inquiry in chambers, with State Prosecutor Dionne Mc Cammon and State appointed Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud present.
At the conclusion, Justice Reynolds revealed that Samaroo is presently accused of an indictable offence in which Persaud is the Defence Counsel.
The judge then announced that he cannot continue the trial in the interest of justice and that Campbell will have to be tried by a new panel of jurors from Tuesday.
Campbell is indicted for the unlawful killing of his 22-year-old stepson who was shot while asleep at home on January 22, 2004.
He had been found guilty at a previous trial and sentenced to death but won an appeal against the conviction and ordered, by the Appellate Court, to face a retrial.
The juror, who was identified as Sundaram Samaroo, is charged with committing the offence on August 14, 2009.
Following the adjournment on Tuesday afternoon, he had requested permission from the judge to attend a personal matter at Reliance Magistrate Court, in East Canje, having previously told a Court staffer that he had a traffic case there.
However, on the resumption, the juror was absent and, when he returned, the judge conducted an inquiry in chambers, with State Prosecutor Dionne Mc Cammon and State appointed Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud present.
At the conclusion, Justice Reynolds revealed that Samaroo is presently accused of an indictable offence in which Persaud is the Defence Counsel.
The judge then announced that he cannot continue the trial in the interest of justice and that Campbell will have to be tried by a new panel of jurors from Tuesday.
Campbell is indicted for the unlawful killing of his 22-year-old stepson who was shot while asleep at home on January 22, 2004.
He had been found guilty at a previous trial and sentenced to death but won an appeal against the conviction and ordered, by the Appellate Court, to face a retrial.
