Herstelling acid-tossing trial begins… Victim testifies of unprovoked attack

Jun 11, 2008 News

A young barber who was burnt with a corrosive liquid, allegedly by a former customer and his mother, yesterday testified about a series of events which led to an unprovoked attack.
Komal Persaud and Renee Persaud, of Third Street, Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, are charged with attempting to murder Navin Seepersaud, or the alternative count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Seepersaud, of Section ‘C’ Block ‘Y’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, was badly scarred about the face, eyes, torso, thighs and legs on November 25, 2004.
The Persauds are appearing before Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire and a 12-man jury at the High Court.
Led in evidence by state prosecutor Kara Duff-Yehudah, Seepersaud related that he knew both of the accused for about 13 years, since he once lived in the village.
Seepersaud described Komal Persaud as a friend, and said that he was also a customer.
The witness said that he left home at around 15:00hrs on the day in question to visit a liquor restaurant two buildings away from Persaud’s house.
Seepersaud recalled meeting his friend, Davendra, along with two other boys, and said he began to drink.
At around 18:30hrs, the witness said, he and Davendra were heading home when he stopped at the corner of the street to urinate.
Seepersaud recounted that he was just about to resume his journey when he looked up and saw Davendra on the ground.
“He was lying in the middle of the road…on his side and was ginching (grimacing) in pain,” Seepersaud told the court.
According to him, Persaud, who had an object in his hand, and his brother-in-law Edward Veersammy, who was armed with a cutlass, were standing over Davendra.
Seepersaud noted that when Persaud and Veersammy saw him they ran into the yard and closed the gate.
He said he approached the gate to enquire about the problem, but was met with a rude retort from Persaud.
‘“Don’t ask me nothing before you get yuh share,’ ” Seepersaud quoted the accused as saying.
He mentioned that his trouble started when he further attempted to solicit a response from Veersammy.
At that moment, Seepersaud said, Renee Persaud handed a yellow container to her son and said, “Hold, do what yuh gat fuh do.”
“It was a quick reaction…I turned around and saw her passing the container, and he just threw the contents on me,” Seepersaud detailed.
The injured barber said that he pivoted his body to avoid a frontal attack, but was bathed on his side.
Hoisting his clothes, Seepersaud displayed scars from under his armpits to the hip area, and on his arms, thighs and legs.
“My body became stiff and my skin was biting…My eyes became cloudy and the left eye was damaged,” Seepersaud disclosed.
He explained that when he regained consciousness, his friends assisted him home, where persons began pouring water over him.
According to Seepersaud, his skin began to burn with the water, and he was later taken to hospital.
“I was taken to the emergency room. My eyes were flushed out and I was then taken to the Burns Care Unit, where I remained for 37 days.”
He added that he was later referred to the outpatient clinic, where he received treatment for two months.
The witness said he was also taken to Cuba, where he spent nine weeks in an attempt to repair his eyes.
“I can no longer work because of the skin graft on my legs…I can’t keep my hand up for too long, I can’t stand for long periods, and I can’t focus with the eyes,” Seepersaud told the court.
Under cross-examination by attorney-at-law Vic Puran, Seepersaud said he could not estimate the quantity of liquid hurled at him.
He stated that the substance was tossed through Persaud’s metal gate, which has bars.
Seepersaud could not say if his clothes were dripping wet, but he stated that the pain was too much to concentrate.
In her opening address, Duff-Yehudah told the jury to determine fact from fiction based on pieces of a puzzle provided by witnesses’ account of the events.
She added that witnesses may provide different versions of the incident, since no two persons are alike and would recall details in exactly the same way.
The prosecutor urged the jury to consider the case on its merit and without fear or favour.
Also assisting Duff-Yehudah is State Prosecutor Fabayo Azore.
Further hearing has been adjourned to today.

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Herstelling acid-tossing trial begins… Victim testifies of unprovoked attack

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