DENYING that further instructions would bring a change in their verdict, the mixed jury deliberating in the seven-year-old murder trial of Fazal Mohammed, called ‘Boy’ and ‘Mangoose’, failed to arrive at a decision which would either convict or free the murder accused for the death of Shahid ‘Buddy’ Muknauth.

After deliberating for two hours, the forewoman reported that the jury had failed to arrive at a verdict because nine persons favoured the prosecution’s case, while three disagreed with their peers.

Consequently, Mohammed, who had initially requested to plead to the charge, had a change of heart, and was remanded until the next session of the Berbice Assizes.

In her opening address before Justice Navindra Singh, State Prosecutrix Ms Renita Singh had stated that on August 20, 2012, Anita Persaud, mother of seven-year-old Shahid ‘Buddy’ Muknauth, was hospitalized after consuming kerosene oil following an argument with her husband; and Shahid Buddy Muknauth’s care had been left in the hands of his twelve-year-old sister.

Following Persaud’s discharge from hospital, she unsuccessfully enquired about the whereabouts of her son, Buddy Muknauth.

The following day, Detective Sergeant Zoanna Johnson was on duty at the Springlands Police Station when, at 10:00hrs, Anita Persaud visited the Criminal Investigation Department to make a report, as a result of which the plainclothes cop went to Number 68 Village and contacted Fazal Mohammed at a rum shop.

After an allegation had been put to him, he responded that on August 20, 2012, at about 14:00hrs, he had seen Shahid Buddy Muknauth; and after giving him something to eat, he had taken Muknauth to the Number 68 Village Public Road, from where he had sent him home.

A subsequent visit to the home of Mohammed’s sister, Pinky, resulted in the woman denying that she had seen either Mohammed or Muknauth, or that she had offered them food.

Mohammed was arrested and taken to the Springlands Police Station, where he was placed in custody and a missing person report with respect to Shahid Muknauth was lodged.

The caution statement attributed to the accused, which was deemed free and voluntary, has recorded the accused admitting to taking the seven-year-old boy to a secluded area and beating him that day.

Crime Scene Investigator, Detective Corporal Dwayne Harvey, through whom the caution statement had been admitted, recalled receiving information and as a result going to Number 68 Village, Corentyne where, in a clump of bushes, he had seen the body of a male East Indian of about eight years old lying in a swamp, nude and facing upwards.

Anita Persaud had identified the body as that of her missing son, and thereafter, Pathologist Dr Brijmohan had visited the scene to conduct a post-mortem examination on the body.

According to the pathologist’s report, Shahid Mohammed’s body was found in a spread-eagled position floating in a pool of water surrounding by shrubs and trees.

The body was in moderate state of decomposition, with greenish discolouration to its surface. The cause of death was determined to be multiple injuries.

Following an initial appearance before Justice Brassington Reynolds last month, Fazal Mohammed experienced a change of heart after he was brought to the Berbice Assizes, where he was expected to plead guilty to his murder indictment.

During the Goal Delivery, Senior Superintendent of Prisons Linden Cornette had revealed that Mohammed was one of four inmates of the New Amsterdam Prison who had requested to plead when their cases came up for hearing.

However, Defence Attorney Mr Raymond Ali told Guyana Chronicle that his client wished to maintain his innocence, and would instead plead not guilty to the charge.