TSU cop freed of Shaquille Grant murder –Jury returns not guilty verdict

 

DESPITE two convincing depositions by missing star witness Troy Greenidge, who said, “I saw TSU Cop Terrence Wallace shoot 17-year-old Shaquille Grant at Agricola on September 11, 2012,” murder accused Terrence Wallace was yesterday found not guilty by a mixed jury in the Demerara Assizes.

Greenidge, who testified at the PI, disappeared at the jury trial, rendering his evidence unavailable. But by an application to have the matter determined under Section 95, the leading prosecutrix, Mrs. Judith Mursalin, was able to get the judge to decide the issue by means of a voir dire in the absence of the jury.

Presiding judge Mr. Navindra Singh conducted the voir dire, after which he ruled that the depositions of the missing witness be tendered in evidence, since it was proven that every effort had been made to contact the witness, without success.

After the small trial, the judge directed that the matter should go to the jury.

Greenidge, in his first deposition at the lower court, had said that the police who had taken the statement from him had given the false impression that he had not seen Wallace shoot Grant. He had added: “I was present when TSU cop Terrence Wallace shot Grant at Agricola on September 11, 2012.”

At conclusion of the voir dire, Justice Navindra Singh had ordered that the depositions which highlighted what the witness had said at the PI be read to the jury, and that was done.

When the prosecutor in the lower court, an Assistant Supt of Police, had produced the depositions of the missing Troy Greenidge, he had noted that, on that occasion, the witness had indicated that his first statement to the police had carried an untruth when he was accused of saying that he did not see anything.

One of the depositions of Troy Greenidge read as follows: “On 11th September 2012, I went to 3rd Street, Agricola with Shaquille. We go together and met the boys. We were under a tent in the yard. There is a house in the yard. There were four boys: Tuna, Jamal and Romel were already there. I gave 2 statements to the police. In my first statement, it is not true (that) I never said I didn’t see anything. I am sure. I do not usually go to the yard at 3rd Street, Agricola. I have family members in another street not in that yard. Myself and other guys were not planning a robbery. I did not go because of Romel Bollers.

“Five minutes after I got there, I heard the accused say, ‘Nobody don’t move!” I was facing him. I saw the accused come from west, that is, back of the yard.

“On 11th September, a group of men in the formative never entered the yard. When the accused say ‘Nobody move!’, everybody go to the ground.
Romel take out his phone and then we heard a shot. I heard no other person say anything at the time when Bollers ask to take the phone out. Romel was six feet away from me. The accused was a foot and a half from Romel. Romel was not taking a gun from his waist. I was lying down when I heard him ask to take out the phone, then he kneel to get it out.

“Shaquille was next to Romel. The accused was standing in front of Romel Bollers. When I heard “boing” a gunshot, I saw Wallace with a gun in his hand. I told the court this.

“The first time I tell the court I saw who fired the shot was not when he asked questions in XXM. I heard two gunshots. They came apart, not immediately after the other. I saw the accused with a gun. It was pointed to Rommel. I do not accept that I heard the shot but I did not see who fired the shot.

“At the time I heard the gun shot go off, at first the gun was pointed to Romel. I saw what colour vehicle Shaquille was placed in. It was blue and white. When they put Shaquille in the van, they took we and put we in the other van. After the shots then a couple of other police officers were there, some on bike and some in the van.

“Me and Romel are still friends. I see the accused shoot Shaquille Grant. I am not lying because Shaquille was my friend.”

Yesterday, the judge summed up the evidence to the jury in two hours. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning with a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

Attorney-at-Law Miss Sonia Pariag successfully represented the accused.

 

By George Barclay

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