A 12-MEMBER jury was empanelled at the High Court yesterday morning before Justice Navindra Singh at the commencement of the trial of Orin Jerrick for the alleged 2014 murder of Plaisance minibus driver Gavin Fiffee.State Prosecutor Narissa Leander yesterday told the court in her opening address that on July 31, 2014 Orin Jerrick and the deceased Gavin Fiffee had a confrontation at the Plaisance minibus park at Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic where Fiffee was stabbed.

He was taken to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he succumbed and subsequently the accused was charged for murder. About 11 witnesses are expected to testify.

The first witness who testified yesterday was the mother of the deceased, Sharon Payne. She told the court that she was at home on the evening of July 31, 2014 when she received a phone call and went to the GPHC and saw the motionless body of her only son, who was a minibus driver.

She observed the body of her son who plied the Georgetown/Plaisance route lying on a bed in the Emergency Unit of the hospital.

Payne said that she also identified the body of her deceased son at the GPHC mortuary and on August 6, 2014 he was buried at the Plaisance Cemetery.

Police witness, Inspector Philip Bowman who was attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Brickdam Police Station as a Sergeant at the time of the incident testified that on August 2, 2014 at about 15:30 hrs he arrested Orin Jerrick who gave a type-written statement in relation to the incident in which Gavin Fiffee was fatally stabbed to the chest.

He added that he informed Jerrick that he was not obliged to say anything unless he wished to do so, which will be taken as evidence in the matter and told him that “I will write a statement and give you.”

Bowman told the court that Jerrick was placed in custody and on August 4, 2014 and he was present when a postmortem was performed on the body of Gavin Fiffee at the GPHC mortuary.

He stated that he also witnessed the burial of Gavin Fiffee on August 6, 2014 at Plaisance Cemetery at about 17:30 hrs.

The postmortem report was tendered and admitted as evidence in the trial.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Defence Counsel Nigel Hughes, Bowman said he observed bruises and wounds on various parts of Jerrick’s body and he was taken to GPHC for medical attention after which a medical certificate was issued.

Police Inspector Deborah Small also testified that she conducted the identification, viewed by two witnesses, Georgina Dawson and Keisha Bruce, on August 4, 2014 at Grove Police Station.

Gordon Ifill and Georgina Dawson also testified yesterday and the original medical certificate of Orin Jerrick, which was presented by Inspector Philip Bowman was tendered as evidence in the trial.

According to reports, Fiffee, a father of two, was loading his minibus at the Plaisance bus park on Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic, when Jerrick began urinating on the wheel of the vehicle.
Fiffee confronted him and an argument ensued. Jerrick reportedly stabbed him to the upper right chest. He was rushed to the GPHC by a public-spirited citizen, where he later succumbed.
Following investigations into the incident, the accused, who had been evading capture for a few days, turned himself over to the police on August 2.
It was reported that at about 17:45 hours on Thursday, July 31, Gavin Fiffee, 30, of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, was involved in an argument with a man at the Plaisance Bus Park in the city during which he was stabbed to his chest. Fiffee succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment at GPHC.
Fiffee had reportedly objected to the accused Orin Jerrick urinating on his minibus when an argument ensued, which later escalated into a brawl, during which he was stabbed to his upper right chest.
The state is being represented by Narissa Leander, Siand Dhurjon and Michael Shahoud while the defence counsel are Nigel Hughes and Peter Hugh in association with Savannah Barnwell.
The trial continues today at 09:00hrs.
By Michel Outridge