FOLLOWING conclusion of a voir dire (trial within a trial) conducted in the North West District murder case, Madame Justice Dawn Gregory ruled at the Demerara Assizes not to admit into evidence the depositions of two absent eyewitnesses in the trial of Mark Thompson, called ‘Ishley’.

The deponents had testified at the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge, but they cannot be located to testify at the jury trial.
Prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Renita Singh had sought to have those depositions admitted into evidence in absence of the two witnesses, under Section 95 — that the witnesses cannot be located and are believed to be out of the jurisdiction, causing Justice Gregory to conduct the voir dire in absence of the jury.
Following that ruling, Defence Counsel Peter Hugh made a no-case submission, contending that the remaining evidence was not sufficient to prove a case against his client, the accused, who is indicted for the unlawful killing of his cousin, Romel Williams, on January 13, 2008 at White Creek Village in the North West District.
Justice Gregory is expected to rule this morning on the defence no-case submission.