MURDER accused Rawle Bernard has claimed innocence in the fatal stabbing of Sylvan Lennox Stoll called “Bow foot” and “Gold Teeth” which occurred between August 13 and 14, 2017 at a bar-b-que held at the Seafield Community Ground, West Coast Berbice.

In his unsworn statement before Justice Simone Morris- Ramlall and a twelve member jury at the Berbice Assizes, Bernard said he was invited to the event by Daniel Pereira. Together, they were standing by the door, when the now deceased passed and said, he has to walk home.
“I cuffed him. He lashed me with a bottle. I went to the pavilion to cool off. On my return I noticed that no one was there. I started to walk. I saw the police. I came into the station where I was handcuffed, left with my boxers only and placed in the lockups for four days. No one told me nothing…… I did not juck this man, I am innocent,” he said.

Meanwhile, State Prosecutrix, Tuanna Hardy, has closed the case for the prosecution. She had presented several witnesses during the trial, including Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan, who gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to stab wound to the neck.
The evidence presented thus far has revealed that Bernard and Stoll were among a group of persons who had travelled in a minibus to Berbice to attend a bar-b-que event.

An eyewitness claimed that the men were locked in a scuffle following which Stoll ran towards the bar. His white t-shirt was bloodied.
The injured man was transported to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he succumbed. A report was made at Weldaad Police Station.
Hardy and defence counsel Chandra Sohan will make final addresses to the court on Tuesday.