–told jury: ‘I was drunk, I woke up in hospital’
MOHAMED Usuf, called ‘Mark’, on trial for attempting to murder his estranged wife, and attempting suicide when he thought she was dead, denied the allegation Thursday before Justice Dawn Gregory and a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes.
“I went to visit my two children. My wife prevented me. I left and had some drinks. The next morning, I returned to my wife’s home, she opened the door and let me in. I got knocked out on the floor, when I woke up, I found myself at the Georgetown Hospital.  I do not know what happened, or how I got there.”
That, in effect, was what the accused said in a statement from the dock yesterday, after the prosecution closed its case, giving him the right to lead a defence.
The accused, represented by Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Anthony and Lance Perreira, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Lead prosecutor Miss Prithima Kissoon, in her opening address to the jury, said: “Members of the jury, inasmuch as there are two counts, you do not have to commit (the accused) on both counts. If you find him guilty on the first count of attempting to commit murder, you do not have to consider the second count. But if you acquit him on the first count of attempted murder, you will proceed to the second count of wounding with intent.
“What is attempted murder? In short, this accused tried to bring about the death of his victim, but she did not die. Simply put, the circumstances that led to the dreadful event are simple: The accused was the reputed husband of Sharon Ganesh, who bore him two children.   At that time, the boys – Kevin and Brandon – were 14 and 7 respectively. Three years before Azim Mohamed committed the offence, he was separated from his wife because of his violent behaviour.
On the 24th April, 2005, he went to the home of Sharon Ganesh at Kuru Kuru, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, under the disguise of visiting his sons. He wanted to enter the house, and she refused to allow him, he left. The mother and her two children went to bed as customary, and she woke up on the morning of the 25th April, 2005 to prepare breakfast.  Before doing that, she opened the kitchen window and commenced preparing tea, when suddenly she heard a sound and turned around, and there was the accused standing with a knife in his hand.  There is a hammock in the house, and he commanded her to sit in it, and he started arguing with Sharon, saying among other things that ‘he will kill her’.  He then took a wire and attempted to strangle her, saying, ‘I will kill you’.
Sharon Ganesh became unconscious and blacked out; she regained consciousness at the Georgetown Hospital.
“Before this dastardly deed was committed, the accused sent his 14-year-old son Kevin with $100 to buy cigarettes.
Kevin returned and found the door closed, and Morna
Ramjohn, whom he refers to as Aunty Morna, was banging on the door without (getting) any response, when suddenly she got the idea of lifting Kevin through the kitchen window, which was open and a mere four feet from the ground.  “Kevin opened the door, and Morna saw the accused dangling from the roof by a cement sling, with his tongue and eyes bulging out. Sharon Ganesh was lying on the floor panting.
“Kevin ran into the kitchen, found a chopper or knife, and climbed on a chair and cut the cement sling which the father had tied to the rafter to kill himself with; then the accused fell to the ground near to, what appeared to be, the lifeless body of Sharon. The boy administered CPR on the accused, whom he heard gasp for breath.
“By this time, several neighbours had come to the house to assist Sharon Ganesh and the accused. They first took them to the Kuru Kuru Health Centre, which was closed, and on their way to the Georgetown Public Hospital, they saw an ambulance and (the two injured persons) were transferred into it and taken to hospital.
“The accused, who was unconscious, was arrested approximately 10 days later, and subsequently charged for the offences for which he stands indicted.”
The hearing continues on December 28, when both the defence and the prosecution will address the jury.