Latest update January 4th, 2025 5:30 AM
Sep 16, 2010 News
– defence likely to appeal
After almost two weeks of intense arguments put forward by Defence Counsel Bernard De Santos SC, a mixed jury nevertheless found his client, Lennox Syfox, guilty of the capital offense of murder yesterday.
Syfox was found guilty of murdering his reputed wife, Roslyn Rodney, and also injuring his eight-month-old daughter Annalisa. The relationship between the two bore two children.
Trial Judge Roxanne George-Wiltshire yesterday explained to Syfox that once he was found guilty of the capital offence of murder, the automatic penalty under law was death. Furthermore she directed Syfox that he could seek the intervention of a higher jurisdiction.
Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos, in his address to the court, said that he was “very surprised” at the verdict. De Santos opined that a further inquiry should be embarked upon on whether the death penalty should be given. Furthermore the lawyer stated that the trial took place some five years after the incident.
He said that clearly it’s an infraction on his client’s behalf because his constitutional rights were not upheld.
“In article 144 which states that everyone should be allowed to a hearing within a reasonable time…..was definitely infringed on,” said De Santos. Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday De Santos said that he would definitely appeal the case.
De Santos argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a case against his client. Prosecutors Latchmie Rahamat and Rhondel Weever, diligently represented the state.
The Prosecution closed its case on Wednesday last after calling a number of witnesses including eye witness, Pauline Rodney, the mother of the dead woman. Syfox fathered two children with Rodney.
In the mother’s evidence, Pauline Rodney said she was at home at Lot 14 Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, when Syfox who had a relationship with her daughter invaded the home.
The woman stated that Syfox began stabbing her daughter repeatedly with a silver knife.
“He plunged the knife into her…..pushing it from side to side, plus he dragged it down her neck” Rodney had explained to the jury.
Government Pathologist Nehaul Singh, who performed the post mortem, gave the cause of death as perforation of blood vessels and the lung.
However, under cross-examination, Senior counsel De Santos questioned the doctor about the evidence of the witness Pauline Rodney and her description of how the injuries were inflicted. More so De Santos had argued that Sergeant Caesar’s evidence was not credible. The lawyer further questioned the doctor on whether such a description by the witness, could have resulted in wounds he – the doctor – found on the body, Singh responded in the negative.
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