-two of four accused allegedly beaten by police
JUSTICE Navindra Singh yesterday overruled no-case submissions in the stepfather murder trial, and refused counsel leave to deem a defence witness hostile.The accused in the case are Bissoondial Mahadeo, also called ‘Weedman’; Bibi Shamiza, called ‘Sham’; Hoosman Khan, called ‘Strongman’; and Bibi Farida Khan, called ‘Pum’. They are accused of having murdered Motilall Singh on September 7th, 2009 at Windsor Forest, West Coast of Demerara because he allegedly wanted to sell the house they live in whilst they were still occupying it.
The trial was expected to be concluded at this session, but it went over to the January session yesterday when the judge granted defence lawyers an application for postponement to Wednesday of this week.
Following the ruling in the no-case submissions, each of the four accused made an unsworn statement from the dock. The number one accused, Bissoondial Mahadeo, and the number three accused, Hoosman Khan, who had allegedly made statements admitting participation in the crime, said in their statements that the police had used violence on them to obtain their confessions.
And defence counsel, Mr. Glenn Hanoman, representing Mahadeo, called as a defence witness, Corporal Annan Persaud Sookhoo, who testified that he had accompanied Mahadeo from the police station to the Georgetown Prison, where, in his presence, Mahadeo had told the receptionist at the prison that he had been injured to the face.
The witness said he suggested to the prisoner that he should speak to one of the officers about the incident, but Mahadeo had remained silent.
Under cross-examination by prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Judith Gilldharie-Mursalin, Cpl Sookhoo was asked whether he had heard Mahadeo telling the receptionist about any blows he had received on his buttocks or on any part of his body. The Cpl. replied in the negative.
After this answer, Mr. Hanoman applied to the court to have the witness deemed hostile, so that he could cross-examine him, but the judge found the application not justified.
Earlier in the trial, police Sgt. Narine Lall had disclosed that the number one accused, Bissoondial Mahadeo, had told him in his caution statement that six days prior to the murder, he was with his friend, ‘Little’, at Windsor Forest talking with him and his wife, Shamiza. He then said that they told him they wanted him to kill ‘Uncle Motie’ because he wanted to sell out the house with them inside, and that there would be a good chance to accomplish the deed when Motie was returning home from drinking that night.
“Little tell meh that if meh go with he pon de work, he gon give me $100,000., and me tell he alright. Sir, this morning, (at) about 10 ‘o’ clock, me bin deh home when Little come and call me and tell meh that all the arrangements in place,” Mahadeo said in the statement.
“Sir, me see he with a black handle knife, and me and he walk and go to the Windsor Forest First Street. Ahwe sid down pon de road side bench, and ten minutes after, one bus stap on de public road and me see Motie and he cousin Hoosman come out. When they reach next to me and Little, Little scramble Motie on he neck and start juk he. Motie start fight back, and Little shout for me. Then me help Little hold Motie, and he gave him couple more juks in he belly, and me see he fell down, and after that me run and go home,” the statement disclosed.
Attorney-at-law Mr Glenn Hanoman is appearing for Mahadeo, while Mr. Bernard De Santos, S.C., is appearing for the other three accused.
(By George Barclay)
