Recaptured escapee pleads not guilty to attempted murder

Oct 18, 2017 News

By Feona Morrison

Stafrei Alexander

Recaptured Camp Street prison escapee, Stafrei Alexander pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge yesterday, when his trial began before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Georgetown.
The indictment before Alexander, also known as ‘Mad Dog’, alleges that on March 23, 2015, in the county of Demerara, he discharged a loaded firearm at Curtis Thom, with intent to commit murder.
There was also an alternate indictment put forward by State Prosecutors Lisa Cave, Shawnette Austin and Tiffini Lyken.
Particulars of that indictment alleged that on the aforementioned date, Alexander discharged a loaded firearm at Thom, with intent to maim, disable, or cause serious bodily harm.
A mixed 12-member jury was advised by Prosecutor Lyken that if there was not sufficient evidence to convict Alexander on the first indictment, they could consider the evidence as it relates to the latter indictment. Attorney-at-Law Stanley Moore is representing Alexander.
State Prosecutor Lyken told the court that Alexander and Thom are known to each other since they resided a few houses from each other at Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
Lyken pointed out that they are not friends.
According to the prosecutor, on the day in question, Thom held a christening at his residence to welcome his baby daughter. She said that when the event ended and the guests left in the wee hours of the following morning, Thom went to the back of the property to clean up and feed his dogs.
Prosecutor Lyken stated that Alexander walked past Thom and grumbled something which he did not hear. Lyken disclosed that as Thom was entering his house in a backward position, he saw Alexander standing next to him “holding a shine gun”.
She added that after Alexander shot Thom twice, Thom collapsed to the ground and began bleeding.
The injured man underwent surgery and was hospitalized for seven weeks, the prosecutor related.
Prosecutor Lyken stated that Thom was able to see his shooter with the aid of lights attached to his home and surrounding buildings. In concluding, the prosecutor pointed out that there were no eyewitnesses to the shooting nor was the gun used to shoot Thom recovered.
The first witness called by the state was Police Constable Jason Kyte, a detective, stationed at the Ruimveldt Police Station. Constable Kyte told the court that during the month of March 2015, he was stationed at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost. He said that on the day in question, he received report of a shooting committed on Thom.
As a result, Constable Kyte said he went to Lot 138 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
He said that he arrived there at around 02:00hrs, and observed that Thom lived in a two-storey wooden and concrete range structure.
According to Constable Kyte, upon checking the southern side of the building, he observed what appeared to be blood a short distance from the back door.
The police witness added, “I then made checks for anything of evidential value, but I saw or found nothing. I questioned several persons but received no useful information.”
The police witness continued, “I then went to the Georgetown Public Hospital where I contacted Curtis Thom who gave me certain information. As a result of the information I went back to Laing Avenue, where I made checks for the suspect, but I did not see him.”
When questioned by Prosecutor Lyken, Constable Kyte recalled seeing bandages across Thom’s chest, and “medical instruments,” on visiting him at the hospital.
Under cross examination by Moore, Constable Kyte disclosed that he has no training in crime scene investigation and did not seek assistance from a crime scene investigator on the day in question.
Apart from Thom, the police witness said he did not acquire information from any source whatsoever regarding the identity of the shooter. Constable Kyte admitted that there is no information in his statement regarding the identity of the shooter.
Under re-examination by Prosecutor Lyken, the police witness recalled that crime scene investigators were summoned to the scene but “I did not do so personally.”
This trial continues tomorrow morning.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News