Latest update March 29th, 2025 5:38 AM
Murder of Insurance Executive…Voir dire underway to determine admissibility of caution statement
A Voir Dire (trial within a trial) is underway in the matter for which Clive Knights is before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury, accused of killing insurance executive, Bert Whyte.
Murder Accused
Clive Knights
Whyte, a former Assistant Company Secretary at Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life (GTM) Insurance, was murdered on May 14, 2012.
The incident is said to have occurred in the vicinity of Main Street, Georgetown.
Yesterday, Police Detective Joel David testified that in May 2012, he was stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department, (CID) of the Brickdam Police Station, when he became involved in the investigation into the murder of Bert Whyte.
David recalled that he interviewed the victim’s niece. He said that he asked the young girl to point out the suspect from pictures in the Police photograph album. The photographs the policeman described were black and white, and coloured.
David said that Whyte’s niece positively identified the accused from among in excess of 100 photos.
Based on a question posed by defence counsel, Konyo Thompson, the detective disclosed that the police uplifted the suspect’s (Knights) photograph from his former place of employment, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC).
He related that sometime after Knights was arrested and cautioned, in relation to the crime. Knights, the officer related, essentially confessed to the murder. “He was sorry that he killed Bert, and that he was his friend.” the policeman stated.
David said that the accused then requested to give a statement, but asked for Detective Cosbert, whom he had known, to be present for the taking of the statement.
In her opening address on Monday, State Prosecutor, Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, related that after the stabbing incident, Whyte’s car disappeared. The vehicle, the Prosecutor noted, was tracked down and found in Stanleytown, Berbice; it appeared to be locked and abandoned.
In his evidence yesterday, Tactical Services Unit rank and fingerprint technician, Kurt Williams, testified that he conducted an investigation in Berbice on the abandoned motor vehicle, but was unable to find a match for the prints found in the car.
Meanwhile, a Voir Dire commenced, in the absence of the jury yesterday, to determine the admissibility of Knights’ caution statement. Detective Kester Cosbert and Jason Kyte completed their evidence in the Voir Dire, which is scheduled to continue today.
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