-defence begins address on Monday

THE prosecution in the Longden Street murder trial of accused Tony Collymore closed its case on Friday after four witnesses had testified.Led by Attorney-at-law Mr. Euclin Gomes, the defence will begin its case on Monday morning before Justice Franklyn Holder and a mixed jury.

Tony Collymore is facing trial for the alleged murder of plantain chips vendor Jermain Simon, who was reportedly stabbed to death following a clash between them on August 2nd, 2012.

Police Constable Jevon Thomas, who assisted in investigating the matter, testified that the accused was handed over to him at the Georgetown Hospital by Woman Police Cpl Griffith on August 1st, 2012.

He said that, at the time of the handing over, the accused was suffering from a wound in his left rib area, which he said was hurting.

Witness went on to say that he asked the accused how he sustained such a wound, and the accused told him that he was selling clothes in New Market Street when a man named Jermain asked him the price for a pants. He told Jermain to move, and this led to Jermain drawing an ice pick from his pocket and stabbing him, and the accused said he took away the ice pick from Jermaine and stabbed him in retaliation.

Constable Thomas said he realised that the accused needed medical attention, so he took him to the emergency section of the Georgetown Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor.

Another witness who gave evidence yesterday was Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who had performed the post-mortem on the body of Jermain Simon. The doctor said Simon had died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple stab wounds to his head, chest and forearm.

The doctor told Prosecutrix Miss Diana Kaulesar that an instrument like an ice pick could have been used to inflict the circular injuries on the deceased, but under cross-examination from defence counsel Euclin Gomes, Dr. Singh said it was possible for the injuries to have been inflicted from a fall if the objects were in a fixed position and the body was thrust on them.

(By George Barclay)