Doctor, police analyst among latest to testify

Feb 26, 2010 News

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Four more witness were called to testify when the trial of murder accused  Khemraj Gopaul of Angoy’s Avenue continued on Wednesday at the Berbice High Court before Justice Winston Patterson and a mixed jury.
Gopaul who stands accused of the August 17, 2005 murder of Nethu Singh, the sister of his son’s mother, is being represented by attorney at law Mursaline Bacchus in association with Attorney at law Perry Gossai.
When the matter continued, the first to the witness stand was Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan who performed the post mortem examination. Attorney at law Bacchus asked the doctor why the post mortem report was undated, to which the doctor replied that he did not check if it was dated, but knew he signed it. He said that he did not rely on an analysis report to give the cause of death. That he did based on observation and his vast experience.
The doctor was asked a series of questions in relation to the use and storage of cyanide – the make-up and components and different forms of cyanide – as well as what similar circumstances can cause death by poisoning. During his testimony, Dr Brijmohan admitted that some of the questions could best be answered by an Analyst or a Toxicologist.
The next witness to take the stand was former detective constable Leslie Junior who testified to assisting with the investigation and to witnessing the post mortem which was conducted on August 19, 2005, and which determined that the cause of death was cyanide poisoning.
The detective also stated that Dr. Brijmohan removed some stomach contents and some body parts (Kidney, Heart, Lungs and Liver) from the deceased, which were given to him and subsequently taken to Georgetown to be analysed.
The former policeman under cross examination by Attorney Bacchus could not remember if the contents were marked with police seal LJ BD 51 seal 29 or LJ BD 52 seal 29. However, under reexamination by Prosecutor Attorney at Law Dionne Mc Cammon, he stated that he could remember marking the latter number on the exhibits and admitted that “there must have been a mix-up somewhere”.
Also giving evidence was another former detective, Rohan Ragunandan, who stated that after receiving certain information he arrested the accused and later held a confrontation between the accused and Devi Singh.  He also told the court that he visited the scene of the alleged incident and conducted further investigation. Ragunandan said that he also collected a multi-coloured box marked ‘Swizzle Fruit Punch’ which he secured and which was later taken to be analysed in Georgetown.
The final witness appearing Wednesday was police analyst Superintendent Stephen Greaves.
He gave a lengthy narration of his qualifications and experience, stating that he has more than 21 years of practice and has conducted analysis on more than 2500 bodies.
Greaves then testified that he conducted tests on both the stomach contents and the body parts of Nethu Singh and found that they contained cyanide. He then conducted a test on the box marked Swizzle Fruit Punch and found that that also contained cyanide.
Under cross examination by Attorney at Law Bacchus, the policeman admitted that he is not a Toxicologist and does not have a degree, but an associate degree in Clinical Chemistry. He was being furthered grilled when an adjournment was taken. He will have to return to court today for further cross examination.
The state’s case is that on the day in question, Devi, the mother of Gopaul’s son, and Preya, her sister, were at a shop in Angoy’s Avenue, where they saw the accused. Gopaul then 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 their way home the siblings met their sister, Nethu Singh, who took the juice from her sister (Preya), punched a hole on the box and took a sip of the contents. A few minutes after sipping the liquid, Nethu Singh clutched her throat and fell to the ground and started to call for water. At the same time she started to froth at the 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 12 witnesses including three of the deceased woman’s sisters including his former reputed wife Devi, her sisters Preya and Devika Alexander. Anjanie Jaigobin, the dead woman’s mother, her uncle Lakeram Babulall, Roslyn Lepps, an aunt-in-law and two police officers, detective assistant superintendent of police McAllister and detective corporal Chetanan Singh.
All of the witnesses listed were present on time to testify. This was after the judge on Monday had issued a stern warning to arrest any witness who was late or absent for the recommencement of the trial. This was after some of the witnesses had failed to appear to give evidence on Monday. The matter continues tomorrow.

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