Mahadeo Budhai died from strangulation
JUSTICE Roxanne George and a mixed jury in the Nigel Forrester murder trial Wednesday heard from the star witness Enawattie Narine that the investigating police had treated her as a suspect. The witness said this under cross-examination by defence counsel, Mr. Basil Williams.
But although the aunt of Ms. Narine, who is the wife of the deceased was subjected to similar treatment by the police, the witness was unable to describe the treatment to the aunt as treatment to a suspect.
Following investigations the accused who used to work at the shop of the deceased was arrested and charged with murder.
According to prosecutor Miss Rhondel Weever, who is associated with Miss Latchmie Rahamat, told the jury in her opening address that it is alleged that the accused, Nigel Forrester on November 24, 2005, murdered Mahadeo Budhai.
The prosecutor said that evidence will be led to show that Budhai operated a shop Lot 54, Parker Street, Providence, East Bank, Demerara.  On November 24, 2005 the deceased was found lying in the backyard of his residence.
A post mortem examination was performed on the deceased on November 28, 2005, when it was revealed that the cause of death was due to respiratory failure due to spinal fracture and manual strangulation.
The prosecutor went on to tell the jury that when the accused inflicted the injuries, he intended to kill Mahadeo Budhai or cause him grievous bodily harm.
According to the prosecutor, the act of strangling the deceased was not done in self defence, or was it an accident, nor was there any provocation.
Prosecutor Weever told the jury, “If at the end of the hearing of all the evidence of the case you have reasonable doubt that the accused Nigel Forrester  did in fact  murder  Mahadeo Budhai,  then all you have to do is acquit  him of  that crime and send him home.
“But if you are sure that the accused Nigel Forrester was the one who killed Mahadeo Budhai, then you must find him guilty of that crime.”
His trial has been adjourned to Monday, August 16, 2010.