A voir dire (a trial within a trial) held by Justice Navindra Singh to determine admissibility of an alleged confession statement has revealed that murder accused ‘Black Boy’ had confessed to killing ‘Country’ when he said: “Country stabbed me and me stab he back.”

Justice Navindra Singh found that the statement was voluntarily given to the police, and directed that it be admitted in evidence; but defence counsel Mr. Raymond Ali is referring to the confession as a fabrication, and is telling the jury that, according to instructions from his client, Detective Constable Chaitram Singh had held his hand and guided it to produce a signature.

The constable has denied this allegation.

A prisoner in chains by the name of Keith Tuesday, who was brought to court by Prosecutrix Mrs. Judith Mursalin to support her case, testified that he was at home at Pallet Yard in North Road, Georgetown one morning at about 3:30 hrs when ‘Black Boy’, who had been armed with a knife, complained to him that Wendell ‘Country’ Fresco had stabbed him under his right arm.
Standing in the witness box in chains because of a narcotics offence he had committed, Tuesday testified that Black Boy had raised his right arm in the air to show him the wound that he had sustained from ‘Country’, and he told Black Boy to go and report the matter to the police.

However, this same witness had a different story to tell defence counsel Ali under cross-examination. He denied telling the police that he had seen the accused Black Boy with a weapon, and he denied that he had told the police anything relating to the accused.

When the prosecution told him he had told the magistrate at the lower court a story similar to what he had earlier told the jury, the witness changed his story and claimed that it was the police prosecutor in the lower court who told him what to say.

He said, “I did not see Black Boy with a gun, nor did he tell me anything.”

After Tuesday had completed his testimony, the judge told him that perjury carries a penalty of imprisonment, and that were it not for the fact that he was presently serving a term of imprisonment for possession of narcotics, he would have been sent to prison.

At that stage, the prisoner enquired, “Do I have to return?” and the Judge replied, “No.”

On resumption of the case Friday, after the judge had ruled on Black Boy’s alleged confession, Prosecutrix Mrs. Judith Mursalin tendered the confession in evidence through the witness, Detective Constable Chaitram Singh.

The accused Black Boy, whose real name is Omesh Chaitram, resides at Mahaica, ECD. According to Constable Singh, Black Boy told him that on that particular day he went and slept under the pavement on Robb Street. He said he had $800 in his pants crotch, and Country searched him and took away his money; and when he awoke
and enquired about his money, Country told him to rest himself, stabbed him with a steel, and ran away.

The detective said Black Boy told him he went to a drug yard in North Road and bought two bags. He used one, placed his knife in his waist, and went in search of Country. He met him in Alexander Street, and stabbed him and ran away. He later reported the matter to the police.

Hearing of this case continues today, when Government Forensic Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, the last witness, is expected to testify.
Written By George Barclay