SIX men and a woman appeared before Justice Navindra Singh in the Demerara High Court on Tuesday for the start of the Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, robbery/murder trial.
According to the indictment, Allan Dorsett called “Baird”, “Fatman”, “Allen” or “Dada”, Delwayne Croft, Esan Lawrence called “Muscle”, Jermaine Williams called “Yankee”, Andrew Chandler called “Sonic” or “Sowie”, Samuel Bacchus called “Kirk” and Casindra Dorsett called “Cassandra Singh-Dorsett”, allegedly murdered Zulfiker Namdar called “Vickey” during the course or furtherance of a robbery on September 10, 2013 at Meten-Meer-Zorg (MMZ), West Coast Demerara.
The State is expected to call 24 witnesses to take the stand.
The State is being represented by Tuanna Hardy in association with Teriq Mohammed and Abigail Gibbs.
In presenting the facts, state prosecutor Tuanna Hardy said that all the accused present in court were a part of a plan to rob the home of Zulfiker Namdar, who was shot and killed on September 10, 2013.
The state called its first witness, Mohamed Zaheer Khan, who testified that he witnessed the post mortem of the deceased and also was present for the burial.
The second witness, Goolzar Namdar, father of the deceased, stated that at their residence at Lot 76 MMZ West, they operated a grocery shop and pointed out the number four accused, Andrew Chandler, who grew up in the neighbourhood and lived four houses away.
Recalling the incident, the witness told the court that it was around 6pm when his wife, grandson, and driver were in the sitting room watching television and as he was about to prepare for his prayers, he saw a masked man in the house.
He related that the man was tall and had a kerchief tied to his face masking his identity.
Namdar added that he hid in one of the two bedrooms and continued listening until he heard more voices and realised that the robbers had left. He went to find his son, whom he discovered in the shop, laying in a pool of blood.
At the time, he stated that he was unable to see anything that was taking place outside but when he saw his son, he screamed and more neighbours came and they took him to the hospital.
The businessman said they would usually close the shop at 9pm and it was about 8pm when the robbers came to the house.
Namdar added that the place is well illuminated by lights and also from that of the utility pole outside his yard.
The deceased, he said, was a father of two.
In cross examination, defence attorney Ashley Henry asked Namdar whether he was able to recognise any of the men that night and he replied in the negative, since the man he saw was masked.
Third witness, Fazila Namdar, mother of the deceased, told the court that on the night in question, it was just quarter to nine when she was sitting watching television with her grandson and the driver when she heard noises outside and soon after some men appeared in the house.
Namdar said she was beaten in the head by a man and shortly after, she handed over a kit containing passports, money and jewellery.
She stated that the men, three of whom she saw in the house, were all masked and after they had left, she asked the neighbours for her son and saw him lying in a pool of blood in the shop.
The fourth witness, Steven Mohamed, who helped in the shop after school, was shot and injured and was placed to lie on the floor of the shop when gunmen invaded the place on the night in question.
He identified the number four accused as a neighbour, whom he knew and would often visit the shop to make purchases but had not visited the shop in the time leading up to the robbery.
When the robbers struck, Mohamed said he was packing drinks in the freezer and he heard an explosion. He testified that he then saw a man, who asked him for the “boss man” and he told him he did not know.
Mohamed testified that the ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes and he did not see much.
More witnesses are expected to take the stand as the matter continues in the Demerara High Court.
