AFTER conducting a voir dire (a trial within a trial) relating to an oral confession, Justice Roxanne George yesterday began presiding at the substantive trial of Nolan Roberts, called ‘Benjie’, for the alleged murder of Andrew Walters, called ‘Sookram’, committed on April 6, 2004. Winette Austin, mother of a child borne for the deceased, who had been her lover, told the jury at the Demerara Assizes yesterday that she does not know who had killed ‘Sookram’. She had identified Sookram’s body, but the alleged confessed killer had not been apprehended until five years later, in 2009.

She said she was 10 years old when she had first known the now deceased man. She had also known Nolan Roberts for two years prior to March, 2004; she knew him as ‘Benjie’.

She could not tell how Walters had met his death; and was about to tell defence counsel Joe Misir, under cross-examination, about knowledge that had reached her via hearsay, but the court ruled that such information would be inadmissible.

The woman said she had identified the body to the police and the doctor when the post-mortem was to be conducted.
According to her, in 2004, as a result of information received, she had gone to the hospital and had seen Walters lying on a stretcher with his clothing saturated in blood. He was admitted a patient for about two weeks, during which period she had visited him thrice daily.

Detective Sgt. Dennis Adams of the Vigilance Police Station testified that, in 2009, he recalled receiving a report about an alleged murder committed on Andrew Walters in 2004. He subsequently contacted Nolan Roberts at the Vigilance Police Station, took him to the C.I.D., informed him about the allegation and cautioned him.

Witness said he told the accused it was alleged that he had stabbed Andrew Walters on April 6th, 2004, at East Coast Demerara, and that had resulted in Walters’s death. The sergeant added, “Nolan Roberts replied, ‘Officer, me and the guy had a problem, and he fired a lash at me and I ran away. He followed me, and I saw he fell on the ground. I saw that an ice-pick which he had in his hand also fell. I picked up the ice-pick and fired two jucks at he, and I ran and told my sister what had happened’.”    

Sgt. Adams said he asked the accused whether he would like to put the oral statement in writing, and the accused refused. Under cross-examination, Detective Sgt  Adams denied suggestions from defence Counsel Mr. Joe Misir that the oral statement was a fabrication by the police, and that the accused had been cuffed and forced to sign the document.

Misses Rhondel Weever and Natasha Backer are prosecuting.
The hearing continues today.