After being remanded for six years… Andy Adams murder trial commences

AFTER being remanded to prison for six years , the trial of Andy Adams , indicted with the murder of Rosignol sawmill watchman Neezamudeen Khan, commenced last week before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury at the Berbice Assizes , with the testimony of three investigators, who gave formal evidence.

altEarlier, the caution statement attributed to the then 18-year-old, was admitted into evidence  through its author, retired Detective Sergeant Simon Johnson .
Reading the statement , Johnson said, ‘Officer, me and Sebastain  and Orin  been drunk . Orin get drunk and we been carry he home. When we reach at the sawmill gate ,the watchman did not want to open the gate .He start to bad up, and he pick up a piece of wood and rush me . He fire a lash at me and miss, and me turn back on he and me pick up  wood , and lash he. Me nah know how much lash me give he because me been high’.
Questioned by defence counsel Joel Persis Edmond, the witness replied, ‘ I did not tell the magistrate that  Andy Adams  was charged with attempted murder , as I only responded to what I was asked .
The statement, he explained, was taken in the Traffic Department, instead of the Criminal Investigations Department, as the latter office was being repaired at the Blairmont Police Station.
The witness acknowledged that he wrote the name of the accused once, while the man in the dock wrote his name five times. He agreed that anyone could write a name, but because of the uniqueness of a signature, no other person can sign one’s name.
Detective Corporal Duke Jacque, who witnessed the taking of the statement , told the Court that he could not recall Johnson’s  words  to the accused after  he had cautioned him.
He nevertheless agreed that the writings of the name Andy Adams differed, but disagreed with the suggestion that his story was   a fabrication .
Another sleuth, Dinesh Baichu, recounted witnessing the post-mortem preformed by Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
However, Detective Constable Mark Johnson revealed  that on July 20, 2007,  he went to a sawmill at Burnham Avenue, Rosignol , West Bank Berbice , where he subsequently contacted  the accused who denied the allegation.
Three days later , he  travelled to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he visited Neezamudeen Khan , who was unresponsive .
On July 24, following a telephone call, he learnt that  Khan had  died .
The trial will continue today when state counsel  Judith Mursalin will present the final  two witnesses.

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