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Street dweller on trial for murder
– Witness claims police forced him to give statement
An inmate of the Georgetown Prisons was the second witness to testify in the murder trial of street dweller, Omesh Chaitram called “Black boy,”
Chaitram was indicted for the unlawful killing of his colleague Wendell Fresco called “Country,” which occurred on July, 10 2012. He is on trial at the High Court before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed twelve-member jury.
The accused:
Omesh Chaitram
Fresco, 35, of Yarrow Dam, Ruimveldt was reportedly stabbed following a bitter row over money. The victim, a vagrant for more than fifteen years, was reportedly murdered while he slept on a pavement at Alexander Street, Georgetown.
State witness Keith Tuesday told the court yesterday that the accused had a weapon in his hand on the day of the murder, but later claimed that the police forced him into giving his statement.
“Dem say that dem gon lock up down to meh dog if I aint give a statement.”
Tuesday is currently serving a sentence for possession of a utensil used in connection with narcotics.
He claimed to have known both the accused and the virtual complainant for a number of years.
“We used to fetch pallets together.”
Tuesday said that on the day of the incident, he met the accused at “Pallet yard.”
“I see black boy de morning and he tell me that Country bore he up…He raise up he armpit and show me it had a stab… I tell he report it to the station.”
State Prosecutor Judith Gildharie Mursalin inquired of the witness, whether the accused had anything in his hand, at that time.
“He had a knife,” the man replied.
However, under cross examination by Defence Counsel, Raymond Ali, the witness told the court a totally different story.
“I tell de police that me aint know nothing but dem threaten me to give de statement, dem tell me if I don’t talk dem gon lock up down to meh dog …my wife everybody, when I tell them that I only know that Black Boy tell me that Country tek advantage pun he.”
He said that he never told the police that the accused had a weapon in his hand because “the truth is that Black Boy aint had nothing in his hand.”
He claimed that while giving evidence at the Magistrates’ Court, the Prosecutor told him what he needed to say.
“The Prosecutor put it me what to say because I can’t really read and write. He tell what fuh say everything, de colour of de knife and everything…I don’t even know nothing. Is till I go to court for me story then I hear that an arrest warrant out for me for dis story.”
Prosecutor Mursalin later asked the witness to explain why he had given conflicting statements.
He responded “Black boy is had a knife in his hand…”
His response met with murmurs from the court audience.
The Judge then asked the man whether he was telling the truth.
“Right now, me head aint dey on right I in jail so sometimes I get confuse,” Tuesday said.
Justice Singh then asked the witness whether he knew the implications of lying under oath, (perjury).
“If you weren’t serving a sentence already, I would have sentenced you … However, that brings us to the end of your testimony in this trial… you may step down from the witness box.”
To this the prisoner replied, “oh so I done hay. Meh aint got to come back, good thanks.”
On Thursday, a voir dire was conducted to determine the admissibility of a caution statement which was procured from the accused.
Yesterday, police witness, Detective constable, Chaitram Seeram read the statement aloud to the court.
“On the morning I went sleeping under de pavement at Robb Street with me eight hundred dollar in ma pants pocket, Country come and search me up and I wake up. Meh ask Country what he doing. He said boy rest ya f**king self and he stab me with a piece ah steel. Meh get up and run away. Meh went at Tuesday yard and I buy two bag, I smoke one and put me knife in meh waist. I went by Alexander Street and I see Country I give he one stab and run away … Country shoulda dead long but meh sorry meh stab he.”
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