THE trial of Nicola Joseph for the alleged murder of her reputed husband on July 21, 2014, began yesterday before a 12-member jury and Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the High Court.Joseph, who allegedly committed the act at the couple’s Lot 12 Plantain Walk, Klein Pouderoyen, West Coast Demerara home, is being represented by Sonia Parag, while the state prosecutors are Siand Dhurjon and Tameika Clarke.

Of a total of eight witnesses expected to testify in this trial, three did so yesterday, among them were two of Joseph’s own children.

Treavona Joseph, the accused’s 17-year-old daughter, testified yesterday that she and seven other persons, including her mom and the deceased, Curtis McKinnon, were at home on the night the incident occurred.

She told the court that the deceased was her step-father; that she’d known him two years prior to the incident; and that they both lived at the same residence.

Treavona recalled her mother leaving the house on July 20, 2014 to go to the Guyana National Stadium to watch cricket and returning after her step-dad did.

She said when her step-dad came home that night, it was around 21:00 hrs. She said he collected his two daughters from her, and the three of them went into their bedroom. She subsequently went to bed herself.

She was not sure what time her mother returned home, as she was sound asleep when she did; she, however, recalled being awoken by loud noises, and hearing her mother saying, “Curt, dis a wha you gone to now! Beating me!”

At that point, Treavona said, her brother, Joshua Peru, went to the bedroom their mother and step-dad shared and asked them to stop fighting, but they paid him no mind.

Treavona, in her evidence-in-chief, related that there was a loud talking between her parents, but she could not make out what they were saying. She also heard things being moved in the bedroom.

She said that some 10 to 15 minutes later, she heard her mother call out for help, and her brother, Joshua, going into the bedroom once again, and coming out saying, “Uncle Curt get juk up.”

Joseph told the court that she went to collect her sisters, one of whom was crying from the bed in her parents’ bedroom but did not see anything.

She said she did not see anything in her mother’s hands, but recalled seeing her on the phone, and two hours thereafter, she gave the police a statement.

BLOOD-STAINED NETTING
Also testifying was Constable Alex Solomon, who brought a blood-stained mosquito netting, a knife which is alleged to be the murder weapon and a blue blood-stained bed sheet to court.

He said he found the brown-handled stainless steel knife at the crime scene; he said he retrieved it after he observed that it had reddish spots on it which appeared to be blood.

The knife and the green, bloodied netting were tendered and admitted as evidence in the trial yesterday.

However, under cross-examination, Solomon told Defence Counsel Sonia Parag that he did not tell anyone about the knife he found at the scene, since he regarded it as evidential value, and could have been used as the murder weapon.

He admitted that he later told Inspector Burnette about his find, and lodged it with the Station Sergeant for safe-keeping.

Solomon, when questioned, said his duty was to preserve the crime scene, and he collected the knife, but it was not dusted for fingerprints, and could not say whether the accused had held that particular knife.

He later said he was unsure whether the blood on the knife was human or not, but he collected the knife because he did not want anyone to tamper with it.

The accused’s son, Joshua, also testified yesterday, whereby he gave a similar testimony to that of his sister, Treavona.

Inspector Lalbachan Dyal also testified and brought with him a notebook in which he had made recordings to his benefit as a reminder about the July 20, 2014 murder.

The matter has been adjourned to 09:00hrs today.

It is alleged that McKinnon, 38, a father of four, was fatally stabbed during a row with the accused.

Reports are that neighbours heard the couple arguing; they were alerted to the stabbing by Joseph’s 18-year-old son, who ran out of the house and summoned them.

McKinnon was found bleeding on a mattress, and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to police reports, McKinnon was allegedly stabbed in his neck by his common-law wife, while the two were involved in a domestic row. The woman, identified as Nicola Joseph called ‘Nicky’ then went to a nearby police station and filed a report and was arrested.