Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Absent witnesses stall murder trial
– Judge threatens to issue warrants
The absence of two prosecution witnesses brought an early end to the murder trial of Khemraj Gopaul, of Angoy’s Avenue, on Monday.
Gopaul is on trial at the Berbice High Court before Justice Winston Patterson and a mixed jury for the August 17, 2005 murder of Nethu Singh, the sister of the mother of his child. He is being represented by attorney at law Mursaline Bacchus, in association with Perry Gossai.
It is alleged that Gopaul gave the woman a poison-laced beverage intended for his son but the victim took a sip and suffered intense internal discomfort before she succumbed.
The prosecution’s case which is being presented by state Prosecutor Dionne Mc Cammon is that on the day in question, Devi, the mother of the accused child, and her sister Preya were at a shop in Angoy’s Avenue when they saw the accused.
Murder accused Khemraj Gopaul
Gopaul gave Preya a box of juice to give to his son Reynard Singh, and a Motorola cell phone and a black charger to give to her sister Devika Alexander.
While on her way home with the items, Preya was stopped by another sister, Nethu Singh who took the juice, punched a hole on the box and took a sip of the contents.
A few minutes after sipping the liquid, Nethu held on to her throat and fell to the ground and started to call for water. At the same time she started to froth from her mouth and her body started to contort.
Her parents were summoned and she was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she died on the same day.
So far the prosecution has called eight witnesses including three of the deceased woman’s sisters including Gopaul’s former reputed wife Devi, her sisters Preya and Devika Alexander.
Anjenie Jaigobin, the mother of the deceased, Lakeram Babulall, her uncle, Roslyn Lepps and two police officers, Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police Mc McAlister and Detective Corporal Chetanan Singh, also testified during the trial.
When the matter continued on Monday, Corporal Singh gave his testimony on the role he played in the investigation.
Two other prosecution witnesses were expected to testify, but they fail to turn up, even after an adjournment was granted.
After the resumption was called and the witness did not appear, Justice Patterson was not impressed. He expressed his disgust at the non-appearance of the witnesses even after they were warned to do so. The judge said that witnesses are taking the court for granted and their behaviour was contemptuous and discourteous.
He said that if this behaviour continues, the court will have to go the hard way and issue bench warrants.
“The court should not be made to wait on anybody”, Justice Patterson stressed, stating that the action of the witness is very embarrassing and causes a lot of inconvenience to the system.
“The jurors, lawyers and other officials involved in the system have things to do and it is not fair to have people waiting around whilst others are absent,” he noted.
The judge then issued a stern warning that if the witnesses are absent or are late for the recommencement of the trial, he will issue warrants for their arrest.
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