SCREAMS and tears of joy flooded the High Court yesterday (Monday, February 4, 2019) when a 12- member jury returned with seven not-guilty verdicts, for the seven accused in the Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara murder/robbery.

After six years of incarceration, 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”, walked free into the arms of their relatives and friends who were present at the trial.

According to the indictment, the seven allegedly murdered Zulfiker Namdar called “Vickey” in the course or furtherance of a robbery on September 10, 2013, at his home in Meten-Meer-Zorg.

During the trial, the State called 24 witnesses to the stand, including Nick Skeete, who was the star witness.
Skeete is the cousin of the number one accused, Allan Dorsette, and lived next door to the deceased for several years. In his testimony, Skeete said that, on September 3, 2013, the men bought ‘some weed’ from him and they smoked next to a tree in his backyard. It was then that he allegedly heard them planning to rob his neighbours.

Skeete added that on the night of September 10, 2013, he saw the men flaunting weapons. He pointed out that Croft, who at that time had dreadlocks, had a long firearm and the others were armed with smaller guns. The lone female accused, he said, provided head ties for the men to cover their faces. About five minutes after they left, he heard gunshots and later learnt of Namdar’s demise.

However, strongly challenging the testimony of Skeete, defense attorneys Nigel Hughes, Adrian Thompson and George Thomas cross- examined the witness, suggesting that he had fabricated that story to clear himself, since he (Skeete) was also a suspect in the crime.

The defense attorneys alluded to several discrepancies in Skeete’s story, and Hughes suggested that it was Skeete who had planned the attack, highlighting instances where he changed his story. The star witness also admitted, under cross- examination, that he had, sometime previously, asked one of the Namdar’s workers if his boss man stored money in the house.

The mother and father of the deceased said that he (the deceased) was their only child, and he was only 20 years old when he was shot and killed. Though they both were present in the house at the time of the robbery/murder, they told the court that they cannot identify the men who invaded their home, since the men’s faces were covered.

After nearly four hours in deliberation, the jury returned with the seven not-guilty verdicts, causing joyous emotions to fill the air.
When Justice Singh called their names individually and announced that they were free to go, the female accused burst into tears and the relatives and friends that crowded the court room ran through the doors chanting ‘thank you Jesus’.

Speaking with some of the accused outside of the court, they expressed how happy they were to have been freed. Casindra Singh-Dorsette, who is said to be the wife of the number one accused, Allan Dorsette, said that she was both happy and sad.
“Being in prison for six years for something I didn’t do was really hard, but I’m glad there’s a God,” the weeping woman said.

The State was represented by Tuanna Hardy, in association with Teriq Mohammed and Abigail Gibbs, while attorneys Nigel Hughes and Ashley Henry represented the Number One accused, Allan Dorsett.

Attorney Adrian Thompson represented the Number Two, Three, and Seven accused, Delwayne Croft, Esan Lawrence and Casindra Singh-Dorsett respectively. Meanwhile the Number Four, Five and Six accused-Jermaine Williams, Andrew Chandler and Samuel Bacchus were represented by George Thomas.