Two colours murder trial… Accused pleads innocence in cosmetologist murder

Apr 27, 2017 News

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Lennox Wayne called “Two Colours,” and “Delroy Morris,” both pleaded their innocence before the court yesterday after the State closed its case in relation to the murder of cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram. Harriram was murdered on July 10, 2014.
The cosmetologist was shot once to her neck moments after she disembarked a minibus along the Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara.
On the day of the incident, the shooter reportedly exited a burgundy-coloured motor car, whipped out a gun and shot the teen then took away her mobile phone and left the scene.
Wayne and taxi driver (Doris) were subsequently arrested and charged with the murder.  Their trial is ongoing before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Georgetown High Court. Yesterday both accused were called upon to lead their defence after State closed its case.  The men elected to give unsworn statements.
Speaking from the prisoner’s docks, Doris briefly stood and told the court “I am innocent of this charge. I rely on my statement which I gave to the police.”
Similarly, his co-accused, (Wayne) pleaded his innocence. He nonetheless told the court that he was framed after he volunteered information on some police officers in relation to another investigation.
The accused repeatedly denied the allegations before the court. On Tuesday, the court accepted a caution statement taken from accused during the investigations
The statement was read into evidence by Officer Lakeram Datt.
According to the statement, the accused (Two Colours) had admitted to going to Lusignan and shooting the cosmetologist. The statement outlined that Wayne told detectives, however, that he was contracted to do the job.
According to the information, Wayne disclosed that he met Doris, on the date of the incident, at Bent Street in Georgetown. During their meeting, Wayne said that Doris told of a job that he has for him and that he would be paid $2.5 million when it is completed.
Wayne purportedly told the cops that Doris pulled out a black handgun and gave it to him and told that he had to bump off a girl.
The two later left the city for Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara.  While there they waited in the motorcar.
Some time after they saw two females emerge from a minibus. Doris then pointed out the target to Wayne. The statement outlined that the accused told the officers that she was “a fine Indian girl.”  According to the statement, Wayne is said to have jumped out of the motorcar, pointed the gun at the head of the victim before shooting her.
The accused then grabbed the injured woman’s cell phone jumped back into the motorcar and sped off.  Wayne is said to have never received payment for “the job.”
Cross -examination
Defence Attorney Nigel Hughes pointed out (to the witness), the inconsistencies in the statements attributed to the two accused.
The lawyer noted that two different locations were listed where the two men are alleged to have met up prior to the incident.
Doris’s statement said that they met up at Smyth Street while Wayne’s said that they met at Bent Street.
Confronted with the information, Officer Datt agreed that there were inconsistencies in the two statements.
The attorney went on to ask the witness, whether based on his experience as an investigator if it made sense that a person would commit murder on credit for a person that he met just a month before.  The officer agreed that it did not make sense.
Earlier in the trial, Police Sergeant, Collin Ross, faced intense questioning regarding the murder investigations. Hughes had specifically asked the witness about his client’s physical condition during the time of investigation and taking of the statement.
The policeman said that he noticed injuries on Wayne’s arm but he made no record of it in the station diary.
Officer Ross noted that he would have had to have sustained the injuries before reaching the Vigilance Police Station.
However, the attorney suggested to the policeman that Wayne had been burned. Hughes suggested to the witness that the police had used methylated spirits as a combustible substance to set his client’s arm alight during the interrogation.
To which Ross replied, “No sir I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hughes further suggested to the witness that he instituted charges against Wayne after it became known that he made certain allegations against members of the Guyana Police Force in relation to another murder.  Ross denied the suggestions.
The matter is being presented by State Prosecutors, Shawnette Austin, Mandel Moore and Tamieka Clarke. It will continue today when both the State and Defence will present their closing arguments to the jury.

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