ZAHEER Hossain called ‘Fine Man,’ who was on trial for the 2020 murder of his father-in-law, was, on Wednesday, acquitted of the crime by a 12-member jury.

Hossain was on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

He had pleaded not guilty to the indictment which read that, on June 25, 2020, at Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he murdered 54-year-old Alexi Gomes.

He was represented by attorneys-at-law Jevon Cox and Dexter Smartt. Prosecutors Taneisha Saygon, Muntaz Ali and Simran Gajraj were on record for the State.

After deliberating for almost two hours, the jury found Hossain not guilty.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that Gomes lived with his wife and grandson in the United States. Hossain shared a relationship with Gomes’ daughter and is the father of the child.

In March 2020, Gomes travelled to Guyana with his four-year-old grandson but was stuck here due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

According to reports, on June 21, 2020, there was an altercation between Hossain and Gomes at Lot 6 Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, over the child.

It is alleged that Hossain armed himself with a piece of wood and lashed Gomes several times.

The injured man was rushed to a private hospital and died while receiving treatment on June 25, 2020.

According to a post-mortem report, Gomes died from internal bleeding and blunt trauma to the head.