Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
Nov 13, 2012 News
High Court Judge Diana Insanally yesterday ruled that the three oral statements and one written caution statement reportedly given to the police by Cyon Collier, called “Picture Boy” following his arrest in 2006 were given freely and voluntarily. The statements were yesterday admitted and tendered as evidence in the murder trial.
Collier is accused of murdering brothers Ray Walcott, called “Sugar”, and Carl Andrews, called “Alo”, on September 23, 2006.
The ruling came after a two-week Voir Dire to determine whether the accused had given the police the information willingly.
Defence Lawyer Lyndon Amsterdam had objected to the statements being admitted since he said that violence was used against his client by the police. The defence case was that subsequent to Collier’s arrest in 2006, the police had beaten the accused, specifically in his private area.
According to Amsterdam, the police had kicked the accused to the genitals several times.
State Prosecutor Judith Gildharie-Mursalin however argued that the accused had given the police the statements willingly and that the swollen scrotum was a condition that Collier had since he was child. She put forward that the accused was teased as child because of his condition.
She further said that two years after Collier was imprisoned it was only then that he brought the allegation that he was beaten by the police. The prosecution said that the accused at no time complained about his beatings while imprisoned.
Following the court’s ruling, Assistant Superintendent of Police Alwin Wilson continued his evidence-in-chief before the court.
In the officer’s testimony he stated that when he questioned the accused in 2006, the man had related a story to him. He was subsequently asked if he would like to put the information in writing and Collier reportedly agreed. The statement was read in court.
According to the officer, Collier narrated three hours after his arrest that he had brought a .38 gun from Suriname and had given it to “Alo.” The statement alleged that on two occasions, Collier had asked the deceased to return the gun but on the last request the now deceased “Alo” told Collier that he had nothing to give him.
The statement further alleges that Collier said that after the incident with Alo they became cold. The deceased, he claimed, started to “move” with his brother and a cousin and when he (Collier) was around they would throw hints at him saying, “Nobody can’t try nothing or else people gun dead.”
Collier reportedly told the officers that knowing he could not deal with the three persons together he went to “Kusum” ( Anthony Charles” the court had already heard, was killed in a police shoot out in 2006) to explain what was going on so that he could “manners” the man who had taken his gun.
Collier said that Kusum had instead given him an AK rifle that the police found at his house during his arrest. Collier reportedly said in the statement that he stashed the AK rifle and went to Bare Root, East Coast Demerara where he saw one “Fridge Man” at a party.
He said he borrowed the man’s motorcycle and then went to Victoria.
The statement continued that Collier reported that he met “Alo” and “Sugar” at the corner and he, “shoot dem up because they threatened me and I feel they woulda kill me some time.”
This information, the police witness said, was reportedly taken at the Cove and John Police Station in the Criminal Investigations Section. The police also stated that after putting the allegation to Collier, he responded, “They wrong me so they had to die.”
The defense then commenced its cross-examination. The matter will continue on Wednesday.
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