JUSTICE Navindra Singh and a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes, yesterday, heard how cane cutter Fernando Cush stabbed his uncle Andrew Benjamin, called ‘Mongoose’, to death on June 24, 2009.

This was told at the trial at which cane cutter Fernando Cush, called ‘Nando’, is accused of the murder of his uncle, Andrew Benjamin, called ‘Mongoose’.
According to the witnesses, the trouble started when the two men -‘Nando’ armed with a knife and ‘Mongoose’ with a cutlass were engaged  in a heated argument that erupted into a fight that ended  in the death of the uncle.
The accused cane cutter, it is said, also received injuries that caused the police to take him to hospital. According to a policeman in his testimony, the injuries were a wound on the forehead and another on the little finger of the right hand.
However, that policeman could not say when the accused was discharged from the hospital and the extent of his injuries, but admitted under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr. Peter Hugh, that the entire face of the accused was swollen.
Attorney-at-law Mrs. Tashana Lake is conducting the case for the prosecution, while the Defence Counsel is Mr. Peter Hugh.
Police witness Ricardo Innis who had interviewed the accused told the judge and jury that after he told  the accused about the allegation that he  had stabbed his uncle in the abdomen thereby causing his death, the accused replied: “Me and my uncle had a fight and he fell down on the ground. I did not kill him.”
Innis said that he also asked the accused how he received those injuries and the accused replied: “Me and my uncle had a fight and he beat me up and chop me on my forehead.”
A witness said that he escorted the accused to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted a   patient at Ward Eight.
Andrew Greaves, who testified that he was a police officer, also gave evidence for the prosecution.
Greaves said he knew Benjamin, as they were neighbours. He also knew the accused Fernando Cush, by seeing him around in the district.
The witness recalled that on the 24th   of March, 2009, he was at his home watching television when he was attracted by a loud  argument outside.        He looked outside and observed that the noise was being made by two men – Andrew Benjamin and Fernando  Cush who were quarrelling.
According to him, Benjamin had a cutlass in his hand while Fernando was armed with what appeared to be a knife.
He said that he was in his verandah about  200 yards away from the men and therefore could only conclude it was a knife because what he saw appeared  to be a  shiny blade. However, while they were quarrelling they moved out of his sight and he could not see them anymore.
He then went back to the hall of his building as the men  began fighting outside and so he was not in a position to tell who had injured whom.
The hearing is continuing.