‘Picture Boy’ murder trial… AK-47 “found with accused” tendered in court

Oct 14, 2011 News

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Michael Kingston yesterday testified that he was with a party of policemen and army officials on October 5, 2006 at a house in Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, where he found Cyon Collier called ‘Picture Boy’ along with one AK 47 assault rifle and pistol handgun.
Collier who is charged with the September 30, 2006 murder of 34-year-old businessman, Chandrapaul Persaud called ‘Kero Man’ of Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD), is presently on trial before Justice Winston Patterson.
Kingston in his testimony yesterday before the jury stated that on September 30, 2006, he received information that the victim’s stolen car had been abandoned at Paradise, East Coast Demerara. The witness related that he went to a Rice Compound at Paradise, Factory Road, ECD, where he found the car.
Kingston said he drove the car back to the Cove and John Police Station.

Murder accused Cyon Collier aka ‘Picture Boy

The court was told that it was on October 5, 2006, he received information that Collier along with wanted man Anthony ‘Kussum’ Charles were at a house in Bachelor’s Adventure, ECD.
Kingston told the court that a party of about 10-12 policemen along with 15-20 ranks from the Guyana Defence Force went to the residence at Bachelor’s Adventure, around 05:00hrs.
It was stated that when the lawmen entered the home, only Collier was there. Collier was cautioned and the allegation of the robbery and murder was put to him by Kingston.
However Collier told the officers “boss man meh nah been there”. Kingston further disclosed that it was Collier who took them into a bedroom where they found an AK 47 assault rifle and magazine with 13 matching 7.62×39 rounds.
The police also discovered a Astra .32 pistol with two matching rounds of ammunition. At this point Kingston said he questioned Collier if he was a licenced firearm holder for the pistol and he replied in the negative.
Prosecutor Gildharie-Mursalin questioned the ASP as to why he didn’t ask the defendant if he was a firearm holder for the other weapon (AK-47) and it was explained by Kingston that only military and paramilitary officials would carry those weapons.
“Private citizens are not permitted to have those weapons in their possession,” Kingston asserted.
He was then asked by the prosecutor if he was able to ascertain if Collier was part of the army or paramilitary, and he said an investigation was conducted and determined that Collier was never part of any such entity.
Collier was then arrested and taken to the Cove and John Police Station, according to the witness.
Kingston was then asked by the prosecutor about the whereabouts of the other wanted man who was inside of the house with Collier.
According to the witness, Anthony ‘Kussum’ Charles died in a shootout with the police. The witness was then asked if he was able to ascertain who owned the property where Collier was arrested at.
“Yes…the home owner was a man from the interior who had locked up his home,” Kingston said.
It was explained that the owner of the house came to the police station and gave a full statement, in which he said that he only became aware of the incident after he read about it in the newspapers – about bandits being arrested at his home.
The owner of the house collected a few items that the police had seized when they arrested Collier.
As Kingston continued his evidence in chief, the court heard how he took the gun and bullets to the ballistics section at Eve Leary.
Kingston said that on December 14, 2007, he tendered the gun before the magistrate in the preliminary inquiry.
Yesterday, the witness said he uplifted the same weapon and brought it to court.The gun was admitted and tendered into evidence. Further the jury was shown markings, in the form of initials, made by Kingston and Collier when the gun was initially found.
Under cross examination, Kingston was questioned by defence counsel Lyndon Amsterdam about how he became aware that Collier was at the house in Bachelor’s Adventure. The witness said that he received a tip via telephone from an informant.
The cross examination of Kingston is expected to continue on Monday.
On Wednesday, last, Police Corporal Floyd Hosanna and Police Officer Shabinaught Singh were called to give evidence.
Hosanna who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department’s Crime Unit, said that on the day in question he went to the scene to examine the body. He described the clothes that Chandrapaul Persaud was wearing at the time of the incident. He instructed police corporal Cleveland Brown to take photos of the crime scene.
Hosanna said that he was at the “crime scene” when he saw two spent shells on the veranda. The two spent shells were collected and sealed as evidence and handed over to ballistics expert Eon Jackson.
He (Hosanna) was cross examined by the defence about what he saw at the scene of the incident.
Singh, meanwhile, testified that he went to the crime scene with a party of policemen, who were also at the scene. He said that he saw the body lying on the floor, and Persaud appeared to be dead. Singh said that he saw two 7.62×39 spent shells on the veranda floor.
After the body was photographed, it was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where a doctor made the formal death pronouncement.
Singh told the court that on October 2, 2006, he witnessed a post mortem examination which was done by Government Pathologist Nehaul Singh
During the post mortem, Singh said that the doctor removed a bullet, which he took to the ballistics unit.
The post mortem report was tendered into evidence by Singh. Under cross examination the witness was questioned about certain facts pertaining to the post mortem.
Zaheem Isshack, retired Police Inspector William Pitt, the victim’s wife Bibi Isshack and the couple’s neighbor, Liloutie Dhanai, have all given evidence in the matter.