JUSTICE Navindra Singh and a mixed jury, yesterday, heard from witnesses the details of the day when bandits riddled the community of Lusignan with bullets that caused 11 persons, including 5 children, to lose their lives. This narrative was related at the opening of the trial of two men — Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’ and James Anthony Hyles, called ‘Sally’ – whom the police associate with the shooting.

Prosecution witness Durwin Wright identified both accused persons yesterday, and claimed that the number 2 accused, ‘Sally’, had visited him at his home while Channel 11 was showing the massacre, and had confessed to him that he had participated in the shooting.

According to Wright, who claims to be in protective custody, ‘Sally’ had told him, “If you were there, you would have been able to shoot someone.”

In her opening address to the jury yesterday, senior state counsel Mrs. Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, who is associated with Mrs. Tishana Lake, gave a graphic picture of the disaster. She told them, “In the wee hours of the morning of January 26, 2008, residents of Track ‘A’, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara were awakened by the sound of what appeared to be gunshots. A gang of rampaging gunmen with only one apparent aim in mind — that is, to kill — were firing shots into these modest homes.

“In the aftermath of what could only be described as murderous, brazen, and cold-blooded, a horrific onslaught of terror was unleashed on an unsuspecting, sleeping community. Five of those houses were riddled with bullets, together with the bodies of eleven (11) of their occupants. Numbered among the dead were five children. The killing of these eleven people has since been referred to as ‘The Lusignan Massacre’. This was undoubtedly a sad time in our country’s history. It sent shock waves through the nation.

“Two days after the shooting spree, Government Forensic Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh performed post-mortems on the bodies of the 11 persons, namely: (1) Shazim Mohamed, also known as Shazam Mohamed. He was 22 years old and had sustained three gunshot injuries.
(2) Rooplall Seecharran, also known as Seecharran Rooplall, aged 52. He had three gunshot injuries.
(3) Banrajie Ramsingh, also 52. She had three gunshot injuries.
(4) Raywattie Ramsingh, aged 11, who sustained one gunshot from the back of the head going down to her spine.
(5) Mohandai Gurudat, aged 31, and her two sons had 5 gunshot injuries. (6) Seegopaul Harrilall, aged 10, with two gunshot injuries.
(7) Seegobin Harrilall, aged 4, with four gunshot injuries.
(8) Shalem Baksh, aged 52, had two gunshot injuries.
(9) Clarence Thomas, aged 48, had sustained seven gunshot injuries, while his two children: (10) Vanessa Thomas, aged 12, had seven gunshot injuries; and (11) Ron Thomas, aged 11, had four gunshot injuries.
Mrs. Gildharie-Mursalin later told the jury, “In this case, the state is relying on the concept of common design, joint enterprise, or what is also known as ‘acting in concert’. This simply means where two or more persons have an agreement to carry out a common plan, as long as none of them goes outside of what was agreed  upon, then the act of one becomes the act of all – once  they are aiding and abetting each other.

“All that I ask of you is that you give your undivided attention to the evidence that unfolds in this courtroom, because, at the end of this case, you will be called upon to give a verdict in accordance with the evidence and the oath you have taken.”

The trial is continuing.