Murder accused walks free in Berbice

Oct 14, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Thirty-year-old murder accused, Satrohan Madray, called ‘Bluey’, on Wednesday walked out of the Berbice High Court a free man. This was following a not guilty verdict presented by a mixed jury that had deliberated for just over 30 minutes. The more than two months long trial for a 2014 murder was presided over by Justice James Bovell- Drakes.
Madray, of Bennet Dam, D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, was on trial for the murder of his good friend, Dinesh Harrylall, called ‘Kevin’. Harrylall of 38 B Woodley Park, No. 11 Village, West Coast Berbice, was found lying in a pool of blood, sometime between 12:30 and 01:00h on Monday February 17th 2014, at Madray’s residence. He had been bludgeoned to death.
Attorney at law Murseline Bacchus who represented the accused and Prosecutor Orinthia Schmidt began the day with their respective addresses to the jury.
Justice Bovell Drakes then took just over two and a half hours in his address to the jury. The judge took his time in highlighting the law to the jury and the case presented by both sides.
The jury then retired to consider the evidence and took just over half an hour before returning with the unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder.
The judge had overruled the defence no case submission put forward earlier by attorney Bacchus and called upon the accused to put forward a defence. This was at the conclusion of a lengthy voir dire (a trial within a trial).The judge had earlier thrown out the caution statement given by the accused. Bacchus had contended that the statement was not given free and voluntarily and that his client was subjected to maltreatment.
Bacchus in his no case submission had contended that the prosecution had failed to make a case against his client. He cited the prosecution’s case as weak and tenuous, especially since the caution statement was deemed inadmissible, there was not much left for the prosecution to go on.
Harrylall, a construction worker, was 20 at the time of his demise. He was allegedly brutally beaten and stabbed about his body.
Prosecutor Orinthia Schmidt had called seven witnesses, including Jagdesh Harrylall, the father of the deceased; Police Sergeant Curtis Cort; Corporal Lawrence Harvey; Constable Alexander; Ex Police forensic expert Tamika Henry and civilian Jagdesh Jagnarine.
Also testifying was Dr. Vivekananda Brijmohan who performed the post mortem examination and gave the cause of death as Cerebral Hemorrhage and multiple injuries.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News