—as ‘South Central’ murder trial continues

SEVERAL witnesses took the stand as the ‘South Central Hotel’ murder trial continued in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member jury on Monday.

Among those who testified was Inspector Bharat Mangru, who is stationed at Impact Base Brickdam. He told the court on Monday morning that during 2014 he was a Corporal attached to the Court Superintendent Office seconded to DPP as a prosecutor.

In February 2014, he conducted a preliminary inquiry (PI) at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court in the matter of police versus Brian Leitch, called “Big Foot”, who was charged for the alleged murder of Joseph Jagdeo.

Mangru said that during the PI in Court 1, before the then Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry, he took the evidence of several witnesses and tendered some exhibits.

The police witness related that he took the deposition of Shantel John who stated that she bought a Nokia cell phone from the accused who is known to her by seeing him in Kitty area where she lives.

Mangru added that he also took the deposition of Felicia Williams who in her evidence-in-chief said she used to live in Room 9 at South Central Hotel in 2013 and knew the accused, since they both served time at the New Opportunity Corp (NOC) in 2009.

She noted that upon her release she met the accused in Kitty and he told her he had nowhere to stay and she took him to her room at the hotel but after she found out he had taken the boss’s cell phone she no longer wanted him to stay with her.

She confronted the accused in front of the boss who felt sorry for the accused since he told them he had nowhere to live and he was relocated to Room 10 and she saw him enter that room after which she left to buy food.

The witness in her deposition which was read in court by Mangru said she was given $500 by Jagdeo to buy a phone card and upon her return to the hotel she went in search of him to deliver same but could not locate him in his office and went away after rapping at the door and getting no response.

Mangru told the court that he also took the deposition of retired Sergeant Phillip Bowman who visited the crime scene and observed a body was under the bed with a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth, his hands bound with a pillow case and his head tied with a pillow case.

Bowman’s deposition said blood was oozing from the mouth of the deceased. He was present at the post mortem and at the cremation service.

Retired Sergeant Bowman held a confrontation with Shantel John and the accused and she said he sold her a cell phone and he was charged for murder.

Bowman also took a caution statement from the accused in the presence of Detective Corporal Conway where he was elected to pen the statement of the accused who when the allegation of murder was put to him said, “Meh ain’t go fuh kill he”.

The three depositions were tendered and marked since the witnesses could not be located. This was verified by DPP Communications Officer Liz Rahaman who testified in court on Monday morning stating she put out both radio and television advertisements for the witnesses to report to the Georgetown High Court Police Outpost.

The exhibits were tendered by Inspector Mangru which included three pillow cases, one polished brown wooden key ring with a key attached to it marked “South Central Room 10”, a blue Nokia phone box with markings on it and three Nokia user manuals.

According to the state’s case, between November 13 and 14, 2013 it is alleged that the accused Brian Leitch called “Big Foot” murdered hotelier Joseph Jagdeo called “Joey” at his own place of business, South Central Hotel located on South Road.

In his opening address, state prosecutor Mandel Moore told the court that between 13 and 14 of November 2013 the accused allegedly murdered the deceased and stuffed his body under a bed.

The state is represented by Mandel Moore and Lisa Cave while the defence attorney are Lawrence Harris and Hewley Griffith.