By Michel Outridge

AS the manslaughter trial of former soldier Allister Woolford comes to a close in the Demerara High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member jury, Detective Corporal Oswin Semple testified on Tuesday.

He told the court that he visited the crime scene on November 21, 2014 along with other ranks and supervised the processing for the scene in which he found a metal fragment which was placed in an evidence bag and he had the area with what appeared to be blood photographed.

The police witness told the court that he was the one to put the allegation to the accused and he said, “Sir is meh squaddie Johnathan bring a man pistol and is a GDF gun and put it pon meh fridge and gone in de washroom. Devon come in and I begin to play with meh phone and wasn’t really paying focusing. But I put in the magazine and I left it with he. I then go and tek the gun from he and I squeeze pon de pistol and accidentally hit Devon through his neck.
He fall pon de ground, I drop de pistol and start to apply pressure pon de wound. Was me, John and Devon, I get a car and carry he to the hospital. John tek de pistol and tek it back to the base.”

Detective Corporal Semple said he was present at the GPHC Mortuary when a post mortem was conducted on the body of Devon Howell along with relatives of the deceased; Patricia and Allison Howell, who identified the body to Dr. Nehaul Singh.

An application was made by the state for the post mortem report in favour of Devon Howell be tendered and marked as evidence in the trial.

Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks Dennis Fung and Cliff Johnson both identified the gun which is an exhibit in the trial as the same which was issued to former soldier Jonathan Williams and lodged by him following the incident.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Williams was also recalled to identify the weapon in question as the same he was issued by the Army and said it was the same firearm he had left with the accused on the day in question.

Assistant Superintendent Vishnu Hunt took the stand and testified that he prosecuted the matter in 2014 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and the evidence-in-chief of Corporal Floyd Hossanah was recorded and he was cross-examined by defence attorney.

The deposition was then read as evidence following an application made by the State since Corporal Floyd Hossanah is out of the jurisdiction.

Sergeant Alexis Adams who is attached to the Central Immigration and Passport Office Records Section testified that checks were made for Corporal Floyd Hossanah and it revealed he had left the jurisdiction and was still a serving member of the Guyana Police Force.

His e-card was produced by Adams and it was tendered as evidence in the trail following a successful application made by the State.

According to state prosecutor Mandel Moore the accused Allister Woolford is indicted for the December 8, 2014 manslaughter of Devon Howell at D’Andrade Street, Newtown, Kitty.

He told the court that on November 21, 2014 the accused while, armed with a gun, allegedly shot and killed his friend, Devon Howell.

Devon Howell succumbed to his injury on December 8, 2014 while, a patient at the GPHC.