IN opening the case for the prosecution in the Den Amstel murder trial yesterday, Prosecutor Prithima Kissoon assured Justice Roxanne George and the mixed jury that the prosecution would show, by the evidence it intends to lead, that the accused, Dwayne Jordan, was concerned with the killing of his reputed wife, Claudine Donnette Rampersaud. According to her, at approximately 10 pm on June 14, 2007 whilst the community of Den Amstel was preparing to retire to their nightly slumber, the accused was involved in a confrontation with his reputed wife which ended in her painful death.
She added, “The true cause for killing Claudine Donnette Rampersaud, the deceased, without lawful cause  in such a manner is only known by the accused.
“The Concatenations of events that led to this tragic death are as follows:  The deceased was the reputed wife of the accused for a period of eight years  in which they had four children.”
They lived at 24 Den Amstel Claybrick Road with the mother of the deceased, or the accused mother-in-law.
“Formerly, they once lived in the house in which the crime was committed.  The house is well-known to the accused and the deceased, thus, very familiar with the outside and inside of the house,” the Prosecutor continued.
“The house of the crime at this time was vacant.   Around 10 pm Ryan Lewis called ‘Bow Foot’, husband of the deceased sister, Shellon Payne,  (along with Shellon) were walking along  Clay Brick road  when they heard screams  of anguished  cries coming from the house  formerly occupied  by the accused  and his reputed wife,  Claudine Rampersaud. The voice of the deceased is well known to both Ryan Lewis and Shellon Payne by virtue  of  their long association with one another, one from youth, the sister of the deceased; and Ryan for  8 years.
“These wailing cries,” said the prosecutor, “kept on going and, as a result, husband and wife swiftly entered  the yard and each one will give you evidence, under oath from the witness stand, as  to what they heard, what they saw and what they endured.
“Ryan will inform you that he went into the house  and kicked open the door after receiving no response from the accused or the deceased,  for only deathly silence  met his calls.  After kicking open the door he was stopped on the landing when he received a chop on his head with a hatchet  or small axe and the accused proceeded unceasingly  firing  chops  at both his sister-in-law, Shellon Payne  and Ryan Lewis.  Ryan, in a brave effort to defend himself  and wife from the ruthless  attack  of the accused,  proceeded to fight  with the  accused  from  the platform down the steps and into the yard without release or cease of action.  Ryan was defenseless when he sought to intervene to rescue his sister-in-law  whose cries and voice he recognized.
“The accused who Ryan recognized as the aggressor and assailant  continued  fighting with him hand to hand with the accused still armed with the hatchet  when Ryan injured the accused  and ran out of the yard collapsing in a faint on Claybrick Road.  Ryan was taken to hospital.
“The accused was found in a clump of bushes on   June 16, 2001, two days after he had allegedly killed the deceased , with a cut across the abdomen and his achilles tendon, which we the prosecution will ask you the jury to find, was self inflicted.
“The deceased Claudine Rampersaud, whose cries attracted Ryan and his reputed wife Shellon Payne, was left in the dark house, quivering in her own blood to die alone, her life oozed away with her blood,” the Prosecutor added.
The trial is continuing.