Two freed of Canje woman’s murder

Dec 17, 2014 News

Two men, including a former policeman, who were on a joint murder charge, yesterday walked out of the Albion

Freed ex-cop: Antonio Singh Balrup

Magistrate’s Court as free men after the matter against them was discharged.
The former cop, 26-year-old Antonio Singh Balrup of Lot 5 Reliance Settlement, East Canje, Berbice, and 23-year-old Solomon Milton called “Devon” of Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice, were on trial before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, for the murder of 64-year-old Patricia Samaroo.
Samaroo, who resided at No. 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice, was killed on Friday March 7, 2013 at Fyrish Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
The matter was discharged at the end of the preliminary inquiry following a no case submission made by defence attorney at law Murseline Bacchus. Bacchus had submitted that there was no case for his clients to answer.
The woman was shot to the head at point blank range around 22:30 on the day in question, at her sister’s Nursery School Street, Fyrish Village home. The sister, Annette Samaroo, 45, was shot to her abdomen and was rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.
Three men had barged into the house claiming they were police and started shooting, hitting Patricia Samaroo who was visiting her sister. Annette Samaroo, who recognized one of the intruders said to him “Popcorn, what you doing?” and the man had spun around and shot her in the abdomen. The man attempted to shoot her again, but the gun malfunctioned forcing the men to flee. Nothing was stolen.
Persons in the house managed to tackle the gunman. However he escaped with his colleague in a waiting car which was parked in a nearby street.
During the Preliminary Inquiry, 11 witnesses testified, inclusive of three policemen and a number of persons who were in the house at the time of the shooting.
Mr. Bacchus in his submission stated that during the trial, none of the witnesses were able to identify any of the accused as the men who shot the deceased. He stated that there was no evidence to link the accused to the crime.

Freed: Solomon Milton

Bacchus referred to Lord Parker’s Practice Direction (1962) which stated that if there is no evidence linking the accused to crime, the judge or magistrate is obliged to uphold the no case submission.
The police had acted swiftly and arrested former colleague (Balroop) who was alleged to be the driver of the vehicle which he had rented from a service. Further investigations led to the arrest of Milton.
The alleged gunman notorious criminal Deodat “Popcorn” Seecharran managed to elude capture, but was killed in a shootout with the police earlier this year. Seecharran was known to the family since he was a visitor to the home. The police had recovered two live rounds and two spent shells from the house.
Family members had said that the dead woman had been a victim of mistaken identity. They had stated that the main target was the injured sister Annette who was witness to the killing of her husband Gary Simon on December 18, 2004, at Nigg Village.
The woman was expected to be a witness in her husband’s murder trial.