MURDER accused Ajodha Persaud, called ‘Amica’, who suffered a stroke in jail, sat yesterday in an armchair in the well of the court instead of the dock where he pleaded not guilty to the murder of his nephew Chaitram Gooroodiyal.

‘Amica’ is accused of committing the crime with a knife following an argument between both men.
And according to Prosecutor  Rhondel Weever who is appearing in association with Renita Singh, the cause of death was given as perforation of the heart as a result of a stab wound.
In her opening address to the jury, the prosecutor said that the accused Ajodha Persaud, called ‘Amica’, is the uncle of the deceased Chaitram Gooroodiyal.
The accused and the deceased resided at Lot 211 Second Field, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara in separate apartments.
On  October 2nd, 2009 between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm the accused and the deceased were at home when an argument broke out between them. The accused then allegedly armed himself with a knife and inflicted a stab wound on the deceased.
After the deceased received the stab wound he was placed in a car and taken to the Public Hospital Georgetown.
The accused was subsequently arrested and taken to the Sparendaam  Police Station.
The body of the deceased was identified to pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh on the October 5th, 2009 by Minoretitie Goodroodiyal, mother of the deceased, after which the doctor performed a post-mortem.
It was revealed that there was a stab wound to the chest going from left to right  and downward, caused by a sharp, cutting instrument.
However, under cross-examination by Peter Hugh for the defence, Detective Corporal Singh, a member of the investigating team, admitted that he could not say whether the knife that had been handed to him was the knife that was used in the crime against Gooroodiyal.
The hearing is continuing before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury.