AS the second day of the Bartica Massacre trial continued in the High Court before Justice Roxane George and a 12-member jury on Thursday, the first witness testified in open court detailing how her home/business place was invaded by gunmen and robbed on February 17, 2008.The witness, Jaiwanttie Singh, told the court that on February 17, 2008, around 21:15hrs, she was at home with her husband, two sons and a daughter watching the 20/20 cricket that was being televised. She stated that she was at the time in the upper flat of the two-storey house which housed a grocery/parlour/gold business when she heard what sounded like rapid gunshots.

Singh told the court that at the time she was with her husband, her daughter and one of her two sons, after which she went downstairs to where her other son was and told him what she had heard. At that point, she related that her son peeped out the window and told her something which caused her to “feel good at that time,” since her house was secured by grillwork; then after a short time, she heard voices saying they were coming by “Mammy.”

She said she then heard knocking and banging sounds coming from the outside to the lower flat of the house and it was when she heard the breaking of the door that they went into hiding. Singh stated that she went with her daughter to hide in a bedroom, while her husband and sons went to another part of the house to hide.

The witness related that she soon after heard shooting in upper flat of the edifice followed by the loud use of expletives made by several voices, while they were pulling out the drawers in the bedroom next to the one in which she and her daughter were hiding. Singh said they continued shooting in the house and attempted to break down the door to the bedroom in which they were hiding, but they were saved when a voice said, “pass the light”; then soon after another voice said “Don’t bother with lights we find the thing.”

She told the court that they had turned off the lights in the building when their home was invaded that night and the bedroom the men went into, they had a quantity of gold stored there in a bag.
Singh said after they had found the gold she heard footsteps descending the stairs and she waited about 45 minutes after to exit the bedroom and summoned the police.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination by Defence Counsel Roger Yearwood, the witness was asked whether the room where the gold was stored was locked at the time and she said it wasn’t, but heard the drawers being pulled out.
When questioned further, she said the police came to her house that night and they returned the next day when they asked her some questions and took a written statement.

Defence Counsel Saphier Hussain asked Singh if she saw the men that went to her house on the night in question; she said she did not and agreed to his suggestion that unknown bandits went to her house that evening.

Defence Counsel Peter Hugh asked Singh where her house is located and she said on First Avenue, Bartica, a short distance from the Bartica Police Station.

When questioned further, Singh told the court that at the time she had a licensed gold business but did not have a security guard or watchman in her employ, nor did she have closed circuit television cameras installed at her premises.

She stated that she did not see anyone enter or leave her premises on the night in question, because she was in hiding and she was tramautised and still is up to now.

Singh said she cannot recall if the crime scene was photographed by the police, but remembers a ‘guy’ dusting the doors and drawers for fingerprints.

On trial for the February 17, 2008 Bartica Massacre are Mark Royden called “Durant”, Dennis Williams called “Anaconda” and Roger Simon called “Goat Man,” indicted on 12 counts each for the murder of nine civilians and three policemen at Bartica on February 17, 2008.

Royden is being represented by Roger Yearwood, Williams’ lawyer is Saphier Hussain and Simon’s attorney is Peter Hugh.

The five accused: Mark Royden called ‘Durant Williams’, Dennis Williams aka “Anaconda”, Clebert Reece called “Chi-Chi”, Michael Caesar, and Roger Simon, allegedly murdered 12 men at Bartica on February 17, 2008.

The five are facing 12 counts of murder, one count of terrorism, one count of unlawful wounding and three counts of break and enter and larceny.

However, Caesar and Reece have since separately pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Monday and Tuesday and will return to the High Court on December 16, 2016 for probation report, to be followed by sentencing by Justice Roxane George.

During the February 17, 2008 rampage nine civilians and three cops were gunned down by a group of heavily armed men, who had descended on Bartica at nightfall.

Those who lost their lives were Bartica residents Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian and Irving Ferreira; policemen stationed at the Bartica Police Station, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam; Ronald Gomes of Kuru Kururu; Ashraf Khan of Middlesex, Essequibo; Abdool Yasseen; Errol Thomas of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Baldeo Singh of Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, according to the police, led the gang on the rampage in Bartica as well as the one that had converged on Lusignan on January 26, 2008. Rawlins was killed during a joint services operation on August 28, 2008. With his death and the arrest and prosecution of the five suspects, it appeared as though the police had closed their investigation.