Rare hearing of court case on a Saturday
– Jury heard how accused mother got to Police Station
AT a rare hearing of a Court-case on a Saturday, Police Corporal Roland Beharry yesterday told the judge and jury in the Ogle 4-man murder trial  that after finding number one accused Paul Jagnandan in a wardrobe at his home, his mother Mrs. Jagnandan had begged, “I want to accompany my son to the station”.
According to the witness, her request was granted.

That evidence of the Corporal answered  the question by the defence which was earlier put to Senior Supt. of Police Winston Cosbert, enquiring whether it was not true that the woman who signed as a witness to her son’s caution statement, was arrested and taken to the station.

During his evidence,  Mr.  Cosbert denied that she was  arrested by the Police but could say no more than she was found sitting on the visitors’ bench at the Station, and was present when she witnessed the giving of her son’s statement and affixed her signature to the document.

Yesterday’s sitting was due to the fact that presiding Judge Mr. Brassington Reynolds invoked that aspect of the law which provides for Saturday work to speed up the hearing of the case which has overrun the time for the conclusion of the January sessions.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary,  Mr.  Carl Singh, had moved to stop the April Sessions from being opened on April 6, and set the new opening date as Wednesday, April 14.

Legal pundits believe that the opening of the April Sessions on Wednesday will have to be further extended.

Defence Counsel Mr. Euclin Gomes representing the number one accused has been granted leave by the judge to attend an important engagement overseas.

Mr.  Gomes who is expected back in Guyana  on Tuesday,  has with the wishes of his client Paul Jagnandan, agreed that Attorney-at-law Mr. Hukumchand, representing Vijay Rajkumar called ‘Eon’  also represent Jagnandan, during the absence of Gomes.

However, Presiding Judge, Mr. Brassington Reynolds, is doing his utmost to finish the case by Tuesday to provide for the expected opening of the April Criminal Sessions on Wednesday.

The jury in the Ogle murder trial  heard that the four (4) accused had robbed and killed taxi driver Teddy Smith on the night of October 24, 2004.

This allegation was contained in two alleged confession or caution statements said to be given to the police by accused Christopher Dhanrad and Vija Rajkumar called ‘Eon’.

The jury were told that the men from Cummings Lodge, Squatting Area had left their home on the East Coast on the day in question for the Demico Car Park where they retained the taxi, driven by Teddy Smith for duties on the East Coast of Demerara.

The men indicted for murder and now facing  trial for the unlawful killing of Teddy Smith are  Christopher Dhanrad called ‘Paul Jagnandan’, Azim Khan, Vijay Rajkumar called ‘Eon’ and Kumar Seeraj nicknamed ‘Boysie’.

The accused, all  17 years old, are represented by Mr. Hukumchand, Miss Kamini Parag, Mr. Euclin Gomes and Mr. Adrian Thompson.

The State Prosecutor Mr. Hira is associated with Miss Latchmie Rahamat and Miss Rhondel Weever.

The witness Cosbert said under cross-examination that he witnessed the declaration in which  Paul who  had originally said that he wanted  someone to write his statement had  asked  Mr. Guiness to scratch out someone and substitute the words Ray Guiness in its place.

Witness admitted unde cross-examination that his statement which he wrote he had forgotten to mention about the accused asking to scratch out the word chopper and to replace it with cutlass.   He had also forgotten to mention anything about the word ‘someone’ in his statement but had defined same  in different words.,

Witness in answer to further questions said that the first time he spoke of these things that he had earlier forgotten, was  five years later at this trial before the judge and jury.

Witness refused to accept the suggestion that his memory was like good wine which improves with age.

The hearing continues on Monday.