TROY Greene, alias ‘Slim’, who was accused of murdering Bibi Raphina Saymar for a promised payment of US$15,000, was yesterday freed by trial judge Mr. Navindra Singh at the Demerara Assizes.

Saymar was said to have been killed on May 29, 2010 in the County of Demerara and had reportedly been living with one Dennis Persaud, known as ‘Indian’ or ‘Red Man’.
Earlier in the trial, Justice Singh who had conducted a voir dire (a trial within a trial) into an alleged confession which the accused denied making, had ruled that the statement was admissible, in that it was given to the police freely and voluntarily.

The voir dire had been conducted in the absence of the jury, after defence counsel Mr. Peter Hugh objected to the prosecution putting in evidence from the alleged confession, on the ground that it had not been obtained in accordance with the judge’s ruling.
The judge, after taking evidence, ruled in favour of the prosecution.
The policeman who had taken the statement from the accused recorded the accused as saying that he had executed the job by entering the home of the girl and began boring her with a knife until she fell on the floor.
Then, according to the policeman who took the statement, the accused had disclosed that he wrapped the knife in a bloody bed sheet with a towel and left the girl bleeding on the floor.

State Counsel Miss Mercedes Thompson, in association with Miss Stacy Goodings, prosecuted.
Following the jury’s verdict yesterday, the chain which was on the lower legs of the accused was removed by the police, as the accused was discharged by the judge.

(George Barclay)