THE High Court trial into the murder of Gafoors’ manager, Terry Lackhan, who was killed during a robbery at his Herstelling, East Bank Demerara home in 2016, is expected to commence before a judge and jury on September 27, 2021.

David Outar, 27, formerly of First Street, Herstelling and Patrick Ross, 29, formerly of Foulis, East Coast Demerara, were arraigned before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder.

They denied that, on July 21, 2016, they murdered Lackhan during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

The men are being represented by attorney-at-law, Ravindra Mohabir, while evidence is being led by senior state counsel, Lisa Cave.

Lackhan was a manager at Gafoors Industries Limited and was found dead, in his wardrobe, with a rope tied around his neck, shortly after a male was seen exiting the home with several bags. Several bottles of tablets and photographs of his family members were nearby as part of attempts by the murderer to make the man’s death look like a suicide.

His only child, Riyad Lackhan, had told reporters that he was in Berbice when he received a call from a tenant who lives in the lower flat of the building where his father resided. He said the woman informed him that there was a commotion upstairs; that was around 21:00hrs on the day in question.

According to the son, the tenant later informed him that someone was seen leaving with several bags and he [the son] later returned a call and asked the tenant to venture upstairs and check on his father.

The woman then called and revealed that his father was found motionless on the bed next to a wardrobe. According to him, his father was in the habit of knocking down objects around the house whenever he was intoxicated and he noted that the tenant assumed that was the case that evening.

“But after she saw someone leaving with bags… that’s when she got scared,” the man’s son had said.

A neighbour related that persons in the area saw someone in a three-quarter pants walking out the street after 22:00hrs on the night in question. He said the individual’s presence seemed odd while Lackhan’s front door, which was slightly ajar, aroused further suspicion.

Lackan’s son said that his father, who had been a manager at Gafoors for several years, was not experiencing any problems.