Victim’s wife takes witness stand

AS the recaptured Stafrei Alexander’s attempt to commit murder, or alternatively the offence of discharging a loaded firearm with intent trial continues before a 12-member jury and Justice Brassington Reynolds in the Georgetown High Court, the wife of the victim Mrs. Rhonda Thom, testified on Tuesday.

She recalled that it was her baby girl’s christening at their Lot 138 Laing Avenue, Georgetown home, which started at about 20:00hrs on March 22, 2015 and ended at about 12:30 hrs, after which her husband Curtis Thom went to the back of their yard to feed their dogs.

Mrs. Thom told the court that she stood by their back door looking at her husband and after a few minutes she felt tired and went to bed, but within a few seconds she heard Pow! Pow! Pow!

Continuing, the witness said, “I holler and said aloud, I hope it is not Curtis” and as she ran out of the bedroom she saw her husband crawling in the house and observed that he was bleeding from the upper chest and shoulder.

Mrs.Thom added that her injured husband then told her ‘something,’ after which she ran out the house and called out for help. Neighbours came out and assisted her in getting a car in which her husband was transported to the GPHC.

She further told the court that during the time she observed her husband feeding the dogs, she did not see anyone around their house, and that her vision was clear since he was close by.

However, under cross-examination by defence attorney Stanley Moore, Mrs. Thom when asked whether she knew someone named Anthony Primo, she replied in the affirmative and told the court that he has since passed away.

It was then put to the witness that her husband and the said Primo had quarrelled over the playing of loud music in the neighbourhood, but the woman said she was not aware of that.

The trial continues today,Wednesday, before Judge Reynolds in Court Seven..

In her opening address at the start of the trial, State Prosecutor Tiffany Lyken, mentioned that in the case of the State versus Alexander, the victim is Curtis Thom who resides at Lot 138 Laing Avenue, Georgetown with his wife, children and a sister-in-law, in an apartment situated on the lower flat of a wooden range house.
She further told the court that Thom had known the accused for about 10 years, as he lived in the same community but that they were not friends.
On March 22, 2015, Thom held a christening celebration for his newborn baby at his home and the festivities ended at approximately 01:00hrs that next morning.

Lyken told the court that Thom then cleaned the front yard and went to the back to feed his dogs when he encountered the accused who, as he passed him, made a grumbling sound.

She added that Thom proceeded to lock up his dogs and went into his house via the back door but entered by his back because of his belief that with a newborn in the house, he should do so to thwart evil spirits from entering the home..

It was at his point that Thom saw the accused in front of him and then he heard a loud explosion after which he felt a stinging sensation to the right side of his chest, said Lyken. Thom, she added, said that the accused who was about six feet away was pointing a shiny revolver at the victim.

She told the court that Thom asked the accused “what the f… you shooting at me for” before he fell and heard two other explosions. Thom started to scream and managed to crawl into his house as he felt a stinging pain on the left side of his back.

Lyken said Thom related that nothing was blocking his view from seeing the accused, whom he recognised since there were adequate lights.

She further told the court that due to the time the incident occurred there were no eyewitnesses and that no gun was found. However, the victim who underwent surgery and spent seven weeks in hospital after, has injuries as proof.