THE 2015 murder trial of Meguel Barker called “Allan” or “Miguel Anthony” began on Monday in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury, with several witnesses testifying.

The trial has its origin in an allegation that at about 15:00hrs on April 30, 2015 the accused sneaked into the house in which the deceased, Donessa Barker was staying and fatally knifed her and escaped via a bedroom window.
The couple, who had been married for about a year, had constant domestic spats resulting in the deceased going to stay at the home of relatives at Lot 21 Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, when she was reportedly killed.

The jury was empanelled last week for the trial in which Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh testified, stating that he performed the post- mortem on the body of the deceased. He gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to a stab wound to the chest.
Aunt of the deceased, Javona Dolphin who is the matron at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), told the court that she last saw her niece alive on April 27, 2015 when she visited her at her office. Barker appeared to be normal that day.

Witness, Shevon Frank at whose house the deceased was staying at the time of her death, told the court after some difficulty on the stand, that on the day in question she was in the company of her step-sister, Shaneiza Clarke while talking to Donessa Barker.
According to her, it was about 15:00hrs when the deceased said she was going to her room for her cell phone and within a few minutes they heard her scream “yall help me.” Barker, she said, came out the room covered in what appeared to be blood and headed for the front door where she collapsed.

Frank could not say if anyone was in the room with Barker since she did not see anyone, but she was told by the step-sister to watch her (Barker) while she (the step-sister) went on the road for a car to take (Barker) to the hospital.
The witness related that she was unaware of the whereabouts of Shaneiza Clarke and last saw her on the day in question.

Next to take the stand was Police Constable Jamaine Elcock, who testified being on duty on the day in question when he received certain information. This caused him and another rank Constable Payne to go to a yard at ‘B’ Field, Sophia, where they understood the accused lived

He stated that upon arrival at the said yard, he saw three men and he enquired about the suspect and one of them answered that he was not there. However, one from among the three ran and jumped a fence.

Elcock said at this point he gave chase and held onto the accused, after which he identified himself as the suspect in the alleged murder committed on his wife Donessa Barker.

The police witness said after he put the allegation to the accused then cautioned him, after which the accused said: “Is not me was my brother.” The accused was then arrested and placed in a police vehicle and taken to the Turkeyen Police Station where he was placed in custody after giving a statement.

Sergeant Komal Petamber who is attached to the Major Crimes Unit at Eve Leary, also told the court on Monday, that on April 30, 2015 he was attached to the La Grange Police Station when at about 17:10hrs he and a party of cops responded to a report of an alleged murder and went to 21 Inner Bagotville.

The sergeant upon entering the one-storey wooden house he saw the motionless body of a female lying on her back, with what appeared to be blood on her face and body and there was a wound on her left arm.

Petamber added that he also observed blood droplets leading from the front door to the back bedroom where there was an open window. The police witness related that he questioned several persons after which he escorted the body to the WDRH. He said he also spoke to Shaneiza Clarke and got a description of the suspect and made searches but did not locate him.

Petamber said he made checks too in the bushes nearby and found nothing.

Detective Sergeant Ameer Ricnauth who testified that he photographed the crime scene on the day in question, said that at the time he was the subordinate officer-in-charge of the La Grange Station.

Ricnauth said he met Sergeant Petamber at the crime scene and was given certain information, after which he entered the house and saw the motionless body of a female later identified as Donessa Barker, lying near the front door and the verandah.

Ricnauth stated that he made checks around the house but found nothing of evidential value other than a white plastic bag containing men’s clothing of a thin-boned person. He took possession of the bag with clothing and escorted the body of the dead woman to the WDRH.