As the Mulchand Murilall Cane Grove murder trial continued in the High Court before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a 12-member jury on Monday, the state called its final witness, after which it closed its case against the accused, Hamid Latiff, called “Crapo.”The witness, Rajesh Liloutie, called “Alligator Man”, testified that on Friday, November 8, 2013, he was at the home of the Murilalls when the mother asked him to accompany her daughter, Bhagmattie Murilall, called “Vashtie”, to the police station.

He related that he was a family friend of the Murialls and had known Vashtie since she was a child growing up, but admitted that he knew the deceased only a week before the murder.

Liloutie told the court that after they returned from the police station, he accompanied Vashtie to the wedding house, and they had stood on the road looking in at the happenings after she had gone to a nearby shop to make a purchase of kerosene.

He said that Mulchand, called “Tato Boy”, came over to them and asked for cigarettes, after which he left and sat a short distance away, near a trench.

Liloutie testified that he saw “Crapo” “shove something in Mulchand, then throw him overboard.” The witness told the court that at that time he did not see what “Crapo” had shoved in Mulchand, nor did he see the deceased do anything to the accused.

Liloutie related that they attempted to go over to Mulchand, but “Crapo” rushed up to them with a knife in his hand, which he described as being about 12 inches long.

He said Crapo told them that he “gon kill all two of we”, after which he shone a torchlight in his face then he ran away when “Vashtie” hid behind him.

Liloutie noted that it was about four minutes later that they got to Mulchand and pulled him from the trench, and he was “panting for breath” and covered in blood.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Defence Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos on Monday, Liloutie told the court he did not see any injuries on the accused on the night in question.

After this testimony, a voir dire (a trail within a trial) was called for, but the no-case submission was over-ruled by Justice Barlow; then the accused, Latiff Hamid, called “Crapo”, was asked to lead his defence. He, however, elected to give an unsworn statement from the prisoner’s box, stating that “Rajesh was the one coming to attack me with a knife”, and he “shove the lil boy overboard.”

The matter continues today for closing submissions by both state and defence counsels. A witness led by the defence is also expected to testify.

The state’s case is being presented by Siand Dhurjon and Shawnette Austin, while the defence is represented by Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos.

Police, in a press release, said they were investigating the murder of Mulchand Murilall, 16, of Patwah Scheme, Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara, which occurred at about 21:00 hours on November 8, 2013.
It was reported that Murilall was confronted by his sister’s reputed husband, who was armed with a knife, and during the confrontation, he was fatally stabbed to his chest and under his left arm.

“The suspect then attacked his reputed wife, but she was rescued by residents and escaped unhurt. The suspect escaped from the scene, but was arrested by the police at Springlands, Berbice, at about 09:00 hours a day after the murder, the release said.

According to information received, the teenager had followed his sister to a nearby shop after learning that her estranged reputed husband was stalking her. On their way back, the young man stopped at a wedding house not far from their home, and it was there that he was attacked.