Latest update February 25th, 2025 10:18 AM
Feb 29, 2012 News
The preliminary inquiry (PI) into the death of Queens College student,
Neesa Gopaul, continued yesterday with the Prosecution’s witness, Superintendent Stephen Greaves, presenting his evidence-in-chief to the court.
Greaves is being led by state-appointed Prosecutor Pretima Kissoon, who is leading the case against Bibi Gopaul and Jarvis Small. The two are being represented by Defence Counsel Vic Puran and Bernard De Santos (SC) respectively.
The Police Forensic Analyst faced Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry and related what had transpired during the accumulation of DNA evidence and the part he played in gathering such evidence. He also revealed what he had done in the identification process of the deceased, Neesa Gopaul.
During his evidence many objections were made by the lawyers of the accused. Certain information had been revealed by Greaves as it related to the attainment of material to identify the deceased. The lawyers fought feverishly in a bid to have the evidence not permitted by the court.
The Prosecution, however, presented authorities to the court which backed up her reason for the evidence’s permissibility. Again, the lawyers refuted the prosecution’s claims on the evidence’s acquisition.
The matter is left to be resolved with the intervention or a decision of the court. In the meantime, yesterday’s proceedings were solely around the evidence of Greaves. It was also indicated that a DNA specialist from Barbados is available to testify in the murder matter.
Lorraine Alleyne would have been the one to conduct tests and other forensic procedures which were relevant to the murder case.
Both Puran and De Santos (SC) requested that copies of the woman’s work report be submitted to them so that they may familiarize themselves on the methods under which the specialist would have conducted her work. This was allowed and the specialist agreed to submit her procedure reports.
The matter will continue today. Greaves is expected to be back on the stand and though it is unclear at what juncture the specialist will give her evidence, the woman is available and ready to take the stand when summoned.
Gopaul is the mother of slain Neesa Lolita Gopaul. She along with Jarvis Small, her boyfriend, is charged with the death of the teen. They are accused of murdering the student and stashing her body in a suitcase. The police alleged that between September 24, and October 2, 2010 at Madewini on the Soesdyke – Linden Highway, the two murdered the teen.
The teen’s disfigured body was found in a large suitcase. A length of rope was wrapped around the body and the killer(s) had attached two dumb-bells, weighing more than 80 pounds, to the other end of the rope in an effort to weigh the body down. These articles led to the arrest of Gopaul and her lover after the matter was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
Gopaul’s body was found with most of her head missing, by a family enjoying an outing at the Emerald Tower Resort at Madewini.
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