A WITNESS testified in the Melissa Payne murder trial that she had seen when the woman fell to the ground after gunshots rang out on the Agricola Public Road on the morning of November 5, 2008.

Jermaine Savory stands indicted for the murder of the young woman and on Tuesday when the High Court trial continued, the State called Lorraine Isaacs to testify, during which she said that on the day in question she was assisting her mother to unpack some mangoes at their roadside stall at Agricola Public Road, when the incident occurred.

She related that on November 5, 2008, she was at her home at Lot 27 Public Road Agricola and around 08:30hrs she observed a traffic jam caused by a canter truck which had encountered mechanical difficulties. Isaacs recalled seeing the driver pushing the canter and he was attempting to fix it and shortly after she heard two loud explosions in what sounded like gunshots and she saw a woman falling to the ground. The witness said she observed people gathering and she went across the road as well and noticed that the woman was in a sitting position bracing a fence and she was bleeding from what appeared to be a gunshot injury under her armpit.

She was asked whether she knows one Atto Bagot and she replied in the affirmative, since they were in a relationship and she saw him riding out of Agricola on a bicycle and it was about 15 to 20 minutes after this she heard the loud explosions.

Isaacs was also questioned as to if she knew the accused Savory and she confirmed that she did, because they are from the same village of Agricola. Under cross-examination by defence attorney Maxwell McKay, Isaacs was grilled whether she observed anyone else on the road that morning and she said yes, noting that there is an old house in which a group of men was hanging out.

She added that on the morning in question she was not looking for anyone in particular, including the accused whom she did not recall seeing then. Inspector Eon Jackson , ballistics expert of the Guyana Police Force also testified on Tuesday before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a 12-member jury in the Georgetown High Court.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Elson Baird, who is the officer-in-charge of the Mabaruma Police Station testified that during 2008 he was then an Inspector stationed at the Ruimveldt Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and on November 15, 2008, relative to a report of an alleged murder he assisted in the investigations.

On the morning in question Baird told the court that he, along with other ranks and one Marvel Payne, went to the crime scene and was told ‘something,’ as such, he saw a red motor canter GHH 5399 parked in front of a residence and he was told ‘something.’
The police witness added that he observed what appears to be blood stains on the ground and a piece of metal that looked like a warhead.

Baird stated that he noticed that there was a track on the western carriageway about 50 feet from the public road leading to a yard. He recalled that policeman Desmond Johnny processed the crime scene and he was on duty on November 26, 2008 at about 14:40hrs when he saw the accused seated on a bench at the Ruimveldt Police Station and in the presence of other ranks he put the allegation of murder to him.

Baird said the accused told him “Inspector is me and Atto do the robbery and is he who shoot the woman.”

At this point, the police witness told the court he cautioned the accused. The trial continues on Wednesday. It is alleged that on November 5, 2008 at Agricola Savory murdered Payne. According to reports, Payne was killed after she attempted to put up a fight with gunmen who attacked her and a male friend. The gunmen escaped with some $110,000 in cash that was in the woman’s bag along with her jewellery.