MIDWAY during the hearing Monday of the trial of Joseph Williams, called ’Joel,’ for the shooting to death of Victor Da Silva in 2013,Williams pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
Following the direction of Presiding Judge Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, the mixed jury returned a formal verdict of “Not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter.”But after Defence Counsel Mr. Peter Hugh requested a probation report before sentencing, the judge postponed the matter to November 6 in order to hear the report. State Counsel Ms Diana Kaulesar and Ms Shonette Austin prosecuted.
When the matter was first called up, the prosecution claimed that they would lead evidence to show that Da Silva was killed in the furtherance of a robbery.
Both judge and jury heard that the accused, together with persons unknown, murdered DaSilva in the course or furtherance of a robbery on July 8, 2013.
They heard this during Prosecutrix Kaulesar’s opening address to the jury. According to her, the facts are that on July 8, 2013, Cecil Gajadhar left the gas station in the company of Victor DaSilva, his friend. They were headed to the Bank with some money. But whilst in the vicinity of the Kingston koker, the vehicle in front of him stopped suddenly.
As Gajadhar stopped his car, gunshots rang out . He was shot and so was DaSilva, as was confirmed by the post–mortem done on DaSilva’s body on July 10, 2013. The cause of death was given as multiple gunshot injuries.
The accused in an interview with the police, admitted that he was part of a plan and that he’d traced this vehicle, which he referred to as “a silver RAV 4.”
On the morning of the incident, he, along with the others, acted purposefully. His role was to track the car, while the others would take it. This is what he told the police. He claimed that he did not know the names of the three other men who were part of the plan with him.
Counsel told the jury, “It would be for you to examine this plan, along with the other evidence in the prosecution’s case, and to determine the scope of that plan; the extent of the accused’s involvement; and his liability for his actions.”
Later in the trial on Monday afternoon, the accused elected to change his plea from “not guilty of murder” to “guilty of manslaughter.”