THE prosecution in the Patentia Secondary School ‘smoking’ murder trial disclosed yesterday that police were chasing a gang of runaway drug smokers in the school compound when one of them was shot to death.

The student, Kelvin Antony Fraser was reported to have been shot by Police Constable, Quancy John of the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara, in that incident.

Represented by attorney-at-law, Mr. Glenn Hanoman, Quancy John has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder committed on Kelvin Anthony Fraser.

Attorney-at-law, Miss Diana Kaulesar is prosecuting.

The first witness to testify for the prosecution yesterday was Head Teacher Mrs. Gloria Gobin. She told Justice Franklyn Holder and a mixed jury that she was in her office on Monday, 7th June, 2010, when a teacher made a complaint to her, in reaction to which she had gone to a section of the school, where she had seen approximately four boys smoking. One of them was Prem Seecharran.

She said she knows Kelvin Fraser but she cannot say whether he was there, as the three others were backing her.

As a result of what she had seen that day, she called in the police and Mr. Ramkissoon of the community policing group.
Mrs. Gobin said that after the police arrived on the scene, pandemonium reigned as people ran helter-skelter away from the police. Prem, she said, jumped over a gate in his bid to get away from the police, and jumped right into the hands of the police.

Another witness said Fraser was shot in a bid to escape.

The head-teacher said that, prior to that day; she had cause to call in the police to report that outsiders were in the habit of smoking drugs at the school under the stairs, and interfering with female teachers by disclosing the colour of their panties and tugging at their garments.

Mrs. Gobin said that the uniform of the school for boys was green pants and white shirts, while girls wore white and green.
In answer to a question from Mr. Hanoman, the witness said that some of the people whom she had referred to as outsiders might have been students who did not wear their uniform. For instance, she said, Seecharran, whom she had recognised, was a student of the school who was not in uniform that day.

Hearing into this matter is continuing at the Demerara Assizes.

(By George Barclay)