THE trial for Marisco George and John Caesar continued before Justice Sandil Kissoon on Wednesday, as the two accused face charges of attempted murder, felonious wounding and robbery with violence.

On July 4th 2009, the duo allegedly entered the store of Dhanwantee Phulchand, located on the second floor of the City Mall, robbed her and gave her “a sound trashing”.
After hearing testimonies from several witnesses, including the victim herself, George and Caesar were given the opportunity on Wednesday to lead their defences. They both chose to remain in the prisoner’s bar and gave unsworn statements, not be cross examined by either the prosecutors or the jury.

George stood and testified, in her defence, as to what transpired on the day in question. She stated that she went to the City Mall with two of her friends to purchase a pair of jeans at a boutique on the second floor. Upon entering the store, she told Dhanwantee what she wanted, went back out to get her friends to help her choose, but noticed they were gone. She said she returned to the store alone, told Dhanwantee her size and went to the dressing room to try the one that was given to her.

While in the dressing room, George said she heard a loud scream and she ran out of the dressing room, only to find a man repeatedly hitting Dhanwantee in her head with an unidentifiable object. “Me and de man eye mek four” she said, adding that the man told her not to move and she obeyed as she was scared for her life.

George said she started crying as she was witnessing the act and begged the man not to kill Dhanwantee. “He drop she on the ground and come up to me and tell me if he hear anything about this he gon kill me,” she said.

She added that the man left the store after threatening her and she came out a few minutes after and went to town and told her friends what happened. According to George, she left her friends and went home to tell her mom what she had witnessed but her mother was not home. She returned to the park and that was when she was detained by the police.

George, now in tears before the court, narrated that upon arriving at the Brickdam Police Station, she was approached by a man of Indian descent who pointed his hand in her face and told her “If my wife dies, I will kill you.” She stated that she was ill-treated by the police officers at the station. “A police come to me, hold my hair and pulled my head back and started slapping me up in my face, asking me weh de boy deh,” the woman said. She said that the police officers continued to beat her as another officer came and cuffed her up in her tummy while another, pointing a gun to her, threatened to kill her if she did not tell them “weh de boy deh”. She told the police officers that she did not know what they were talking about and requested a phone call to her mother. She was denied the call.

George told the court that she overheard the police officers saying amongst themselves, “she playing a man, we gon beat she like a man. She better tell we weh de boy deh.”
After being in their custody for hours, she stated that they denied her a phone call and something to eat. She said she was given something to hold by an officer and they took her picture and detained her.

Caesar, standing in the prisoner’s dock, gave his defence without addressing the day in question. He stated that on July 22nd, 2010, he went to the police station of his own free will with two other persons in relation to a cellphone. The following day, a statement was taken from him pertaining to the cellphone. He told the police that he dropped out of school so he cannot read or write, as such, they read the statement to him and asked him to sign.
Three days later, Caesar said, he went to the magistrate court for the matter with the cellphone and that’s when saw George for the very first time. “Your Honour, I’m innocent. I know nothing about it and I’m sorry for what happened to Ms. Phulchand,” Caesar said.
Both the defence and the State were given the opportunity to address the jury to prove their cases.

Marisco George is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Phillip Damien DaSilva, while John Caesar’s attorney is Brandon DeSantos. Representing the State is Abigail Gibbs.
The trial continues and the court will return for the summing up and verdict of the 12 member Jury.