ON Tuesday (February 12, 2019), a 12-member jury was empanelled in the Demerara High Court before Justice Navindra Singh, to hear the evidence in the murder trial of Kumey Conrad Bourne, also known as Kwamee Bourne.

According to the indictment, on May 23, 2016, it was alleged that the accused, Kumey Conrad Bourne, murdered Rickford Bourne, in the county of Demerara.

Upon presentation of the charge, the accused pleaded not guilty and, as such, the trial started and several witnesses were called to testify.

The State is represented by prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohamed, while the defence attorney is Maxwell McKay.

In her opening statement, Tuanna Hardy told the court that, on the day in question, it was alleged that the accused, who was seated in the box, inflicted injuries to the head of his father, Rickford Bourne. The latter later died.

The first witness, Aisha Bourne, sister of the accused and daughter of the deceased, told the court that on the day in question, she was at her home, which is approximately a street away from her father’s place, when a neighbour came and told her “something”.

Bourne added that she picked up her son and went over to her father’s house, where she saw her elderly father, on the bed, covered in blood. There was a wound on his right hand and wounds to his head. She took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was admitted. He died three days later.

Bourne recalled that when she went to her father’s house, her brother, the accused, was there and had no injuries.

The reputed wife of the deceased, Cythia Ferguson, took the stand and said she knew both the accused and deceased for about 28 years and was at work, in another county, when her daughter called to tell her what had happened.

Police witness, Corporal Godwin Thomas, testified that in 2016, he was stationed at the Sparendaam Police Station. On May 24, 2016, he was on duty when he accompanied a party of ranks to the Vigilance Police Station. From that location, he escorted the accused to the Turkeyen Police Station and placed him in custody.

He identified the accused in the courtroom as the same person he placed in the lockups.

Lance Corporal Jason Beresford told the court that in 2016, he was stationed at the Turkeyen Police Station and was on duty on May 23, 2016.

It was about 18:15hrs when he (Beresford) was approached by two women who told him ‘something’ and he went to Sophia, to the house of Rickford Bourne, the deceased.

Beresford told the court that when he entered the house, he saw the accused sitting inside the premises and he put the allegation to him but he (the accused) said nothing.

He however, made checks in and around the house and found the suspected murder weapon, an iron bar, which he lodged.

Beresford said he arrested the accused and took him to the Turkeyen Police Station and placed him in custody.

The police witness said that on February 12, 2017, he went to the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court where he tendered the exhibit, as evidence in the trial.

Beresford, yesterday, (Tuesday, February 12, 2019) produced same (the iron bar), which was marked and admitted as evidence in the trial.

Meanwhile, under cross examination by defence attorney, Maxwell McKay, the witness could not say whether the ‘iron bar’ was checked for fingerprints.

Taking the stand next was Sergeant Patrick Benjamin. He told the court that in 2016, he was stationed at the Police Headquarters, when he received a report from Turkeyen Police Station and visited the crime scene.

He took 10 photographs in total and lodged them. The photographs were produced by the police witness on Tuesday and Benjamin identified same as those he took on the day in question.

The photographs were tendered, marked and admitted as evidence in the trial.

More witnesses are expected to testify today (Wednesday, February 13, 2019).