JUSTICE Navindra Singh and a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes yesterday heard how Jermaine Maynard shot girlfriend Carlisa Matthews to death on Old Year’s night, 2013.
The alleged killing is said to have occurred outside  KFC in the vicinity of Stabroek Market.
State Counsel Siand Dhurjon, a member of the prosecution team who delivered the opening address to the jury, disclosed that the team hoped to prove its case through witnesses.
Other members of the prosecution are Narissa Leander and Michael Shahoud.
Dealing with the facts of the case, Dhurjon told the jury that evidence would be led to show that on December 31, 2013, around 21:00 hrs Carlisa, her mother, her mother’s then fiancé and others were standing outside KFC on Croal Street, when Jermaine Maynard came up and spoke to Carlisa a short distance away from everyone else.
According to Dhurjon, no one could have  heard what they were saying, but they  conversed for a few minutes.
Suddenly Carlisa’s mother and the woman’s fiancé saw Jermaine Maynard pull out a gun. As Carlisa started to move away, the accused pointed the gun to her head and shot her.
She fell down and Jermaine stood over her pointing the gun at her. It clicked three times but did not fire.
Jermaine Maynard walked away towards Regent Street and there he drew the gun on a Rastafarian man and took away his bicycle. Carlisa was taken to the GPHC where she died in the early hours of the morning of January 1, 2014.
Dhurjon went on to tell the jury, “We intend to bring a number of witnesses to prove these allegations to you. Most significantly, we will bring two eyewitnesses who saw the murder occur.
“Members of the jury, if you believe  that Maynard inflicted injuries on Carlisa intending  to kill her or to cause her serious injury, and as a result of those injuries she died within a year and a day, then that is sufficient and we would have proven our case.
“Finally, trial by jury is the greatest legal tradition of our time. It is hundreds of years old and to take that oath of a juror is both a privilege and a responsibility.  Do not allow your sympathy or other emotions to be influenced for the accused or for the victim. But rather, use your eyes to see and ears to hear, judging carefully the attitude and evidence of the witnesses.
“Use your lifetime of experiences and learning to decide.  Focus on the evidence and avoid any distractions.The verdict that you will later return must be a fair one based only upon the evidence.   Thank you.”

By George Barclay