Detective recalls examining murder scene at South Central Hotel

Apr 06, 2018 News

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Crime Scene Examiner Police Lance Corporal Dwayne McPherson took to the witness box yesterday in the trial of Brian Leitch, who is accused of the 2013 murder of South Central Hotel proprietor Joseph Jagdeo who was found dead in one of the hotel rooms.
Leitch, also known as ‘Big Foot’, and formerly of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the indictment which alleges that between November 13 and 14, 2013 at Georgetown, he murdered Jagdeo called ‘Joey’.
The murder accused is being represented by Attorneys-at-law Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris. Appearing for the State are Prosecutors Mandel Moore and Lisa Cave.
The trial is being heard by Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member mixed jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
Lance Corporal McPherson told the court that on November 14, 2013, he was performing duties at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, when Sergeant Bowman, a detective who was then stationed at Brickdam Police Station, made a request for a crime scene examiner and police photographer at the scene of an alleged murder at 218 South Road, Lacytown, Georgetown.
The police witness added, “As a result of that request, Constable Charles and I left for the Brickdam Police Station. Constable Charles had a digital camera. And I had a crime scene kit in my possession.” Lance Corporal McPherson said that upon arrival at the alleged crime scene, he spoke with Sergeant Bowman who told him something. Based on what was related to him, the witness said that he proceeded to Room 10 of the hotel.
“While there (in Room 10), I instructed Constable Charles to take photographic exposure of the room, and then I began my examination.” He said that while examining the room, he observed the motionless body of a man underneath a bed. The witness related that in order to examine the body properly, he removed the mattress from the bed, during which he observed what appeared to be blood on the mattress covering. He said that he placed the mattress covering in an evidence bag.
According to Lance Corporal McPherson, “I examined the body and I observed no marks of violence. I then observed that the body was bound by the hand and mouth.”
Lance Corporal McPherson said that after he finished examining the body, he returned to the Crime Laboratory where he filled out an analysis form. The cop recalled that on February 25, 2014, he carried the evidence bag containing the mattress covering and the analysis form to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the items were tendered.
During cross-examination by Defence Counsel Griffith, the police witness admitted that he did not speak with any occupants of the hotel. He further admitted that he did not examine the door to the room in which the body was found, neither did he inspect any of the other rooms.
On Wednesday, Wendell Eastman called ‘Buxton’ a former employee of the hotel told the court that in November 2013, he lived and worked at South Central Hotel as a maintenance man. The witness recalled that on November 12, 2013, Leitch and a female were staying in the hotel when they had an argument over Leitch stealing Jagdeo’s phone.
According to Eastman, “The boss man (Jagdeo) told me to give Leitch Room 10, because the girl didn’t want him to stay in her room.” Eastman related that he last saw his employer alive at around 09:00hrs on November 13, when he (employer) gave him $1,000 to buy porridge.
He said that later on in the evening, Paula Hollingsworth, who worked as a bartender at the hotel, went to the upper flat of the premises. He said that after he called out for his employer and got no response, he retired to bed. The court heard through Eastman that on November 14, 2013, he was filling water when he saw Jagdeo’s pet cat by his office door. He said that after a while, the cat began scratching on the wall of Room 10 and started purring.
Eastman recounted that the behaviour of the cat was very unusual and prompted him to call out to Patrick Wilson, another employee of the hotel. He said that he told his colleague about the behaviour of the cat, after which he went outside and climbed onto a shed from where he saw the keys to open the door to Room 10 on the bed.
The witness explained that he pushed a pipe through the window and collected the keys from the bed and handed them over to Wilson, who used them to open the room door.
According to Eastman, the cat made a sudden dash into the room and ran out back purring. He added that he warned Wilson not to go into the room and he complied. From kneeling in a passageway next to the room, Eastman said he saw his boss lying motionless under a bed so he summoned the police.

 

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