ANIL Sancharra, called “Dan Pole” and “Rasta”, and Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga”, were on Tuesday found guilty of the gruesome murders of cousins Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry following a trial in the Berbice High Court.
The verdict was returned by a 12-member jury after deliberations on Tuesday afternoon before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.
Following the guilty verdicts, Justice Morris-Ramlall ordered that probation and psychological reports be prepared ahead of sentencing, which has been scheduled for June 26.
Sancharra, of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and Gopaul, of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, were on trial for the September 2020 murders of the two teenagers whose bodies were discovered in the Cotton Tree backlands, West Coast Berbice.
During the trial, the court heard evidence from several witnesses, including state witness Akash Singh, who testified that he accompanied the accused men into the backdam where marijuana was being cultivated.
Singh told the court that he, Sancharra and Gopaul had gone into the backlands to tend to marijuana plants. He said that when they later returned, they discovered the plants had been destroyed, allegedly by pesticide, and noticed that crops on a nearby farm had also been damaged.
According to Singh, while discussing the damage, two teenagers approached the camp. He claimed that after one of the teenagers laughed when the damaged crops were mentioned, Gopaul questioned him and shortly afterwards attacked him, while Sancharra assaulted the other teen.
Singh testified that he witnessed the fatal chopping of the two cousins and was later instructed to assist with efforts to dispose of the bodies.
He further claimed that the bodies were tied onto horses and removed from the area by the accused men. Singh said he was instructed to dispose of the cutlasses used in the attack and to get rid of his bloodstained clothing.
The state witness also told the court that he was threatened by the accused men and warned not to report what had occurred.
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Dr. Dexter Todd, Singh denied fabricating his account and rejected suggestions that investigators had beaten him into giving statements.
Instead, he alleged that while in prison, the accused men instructed him to falsely claim that police had assaulted him.
“I come out from prison to talk the truth,” Singh told the court.
He also maintained that no charges against him had been dropped in exchange for his testimony and denied receiving any promises from investigators.
The jury also heard medical evidence from pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who detailed the extensive injuries sustained by Joel and Isaiah Henry and described the severe trauma inflicted upon the teenagers.
The State’s case was led by prosecutor Marisa Edwards, while attorneys-at-law Dr. Dexter Todd and Chandra Sohan appeared for the defence.
The murders of Joel and Isaiah Henry sparked widespread public outrage and unrest across West Coast Berbice in 2020.
With the jury having returned guilty verdicts against both accused men, the matter will return to court on June 26 for sentencing.
