– for second time in three weeks

MURDER accused, Phillip Sutherland on Tuesday, the date scheduled for his probation report and sentencing, changed his plea through his attorney, Siand Dhurjon before Justice James Bovell-Drakes in the Georgetown High Court.

Sutherland, who is on trial for the January 9, 2014 murder of Martin Roberts in the interior, had three weeks ago pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, whereupon a probation report was requested and granted by the trial judge.

However, when he showed up before the said judge on Tuesday, his attorney made an application to change his plea to “not guilty”.

In his submission, Dhurjon said that at the time the accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter, he didn’t understand his plea and to what he was pleading.

Dhurjon impressed upon the court that in his country-boy simplicity, his client felt pressured into doing what was necessary to get a release date.

On the last occasion when Sutherland appeared before Justice Bovell-Drakes, his attorney was not in possession of the deposition, and as such was unable to study it. But upon getting his hands on a copy later, he came to realise that there was no shred of evidence against his client.

It was at that point that Dhurjon told the court that it was after reading the deposition that he realised that there was another person involved in the matter, as such he felt that that person should also be charged.

The judge, however, granted the application for the change of plea, and told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers will advise as to the trial date, at which time the matter will be re-called.