AS the 2015 murder trial of Patricia Senassie began in the Georgetown High Court on Monday before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a 12-member jury, several witnesses testified.

According to the state, it is alleged that on January 12, 2015 at Atlantic Gardens, Patricia Senassie was murdered by the accused Richard Stanton.

As the indictment was presented on Monday the accused pleaded not guilty and his interest is being represented by defence attorney Mark Waldron.

In presenting the state’s case, Tiffini Lyken told the court that at about 06:45hrs on January 12, 2015 tragedy struck Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara, in front of the home of the victim, Patricia Senassie.

As she exited her car to open her gate with her daughter inside the said vehicle, a car came up and Senassie was shot five times by the accused who walked to her then back to the car he came in which sped off.

The mortally injured woman was taken to GPHC where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

State prosecutor, Tiffini Lyken told the court that on January 14, 2015 Dr. Nehaul Singh performed a post mortem and gave the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.

She related that the police conducted an investigation and the accused was charged for the offence.

The state called its first witness, Detective Corporal Kester Cosbert to take the stand.

He testified that in 2015 he was stationed at CID HQ and on April 24, 2015 at about 17:45 hrs acting on information received he went to Dynasty Nightclub where he contacted the accused Richard Stanton.

Cosbert added that he told the accused that he was wanted in connection with the alleged murder of Patricia Senassie and he remained silent.

The cop stated that he however, arrested the accused and took him to Golden Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara where he was placed in custody.

Cosbert told the court that on April 25, 2015 at about 08:30hrs he and a party of cops uplifted the accused from Golden Grove lockups and escorted him to CID HQ.

The police witness however, identified the accused who was seated in the box.

Under cross examination, defence attorney Mark Waldron asked the police witness in 2015 which unit he was attached to and he said Major Crimes Investigations Unit (MCIU) and his superior officer was Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Caesar.

Cosbert agreed to defence attorney that he made the arrest more than three months after the incident and was not in possession of a crime file but acted in response to direct instructions to make the arrest.

The cop admitted that when he arrested the accused nothing was found on his person.
The second witness, Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo said he is presently stationed at Brickdam Police Station CID and during April 2015 he was attached to MCIU.

Sarrabo told the court on April 25, 2015 he was present and witnessed the identification parade at CID HQ in which daughter of the deceased Romona Senassie pointed out the accused as the man who shot and killed her mother on the night in question.

The accused was among eight men of similar description and were holding numbers from one to eight.

Sarrabo added that he then cautioned the accused after the sole witness pointed him out in the identification parade line-up and he replied: “I is not a murder man.”

The police witness said the accused was not under duress and after such the witness Romona Senassie appeared as though she was having problems breathing because three times she said she was feeling unwell and requested she get some “fresh air”.

The matter continues on Tuesday morning in Court 7.