Murder accused had told cops “I didn’t go to kill” hotel owner

Apr 11, 2018 News

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A caution statement murder accused Bryan Leitch gave to cops two weeks after he allegedly killed Joseph Jagdeo, owner of South Central Hotel, Georgetown, was read aloud in court yesterday by Detective Sergeant Keith Conway. Sergeant Conway was at the time testifying in the trial of Leitch, also known as, “Big Foot” who is accused of killing Jagdeo, called ‘Joey’ between November 13 and November 14, 2013 at the South Central Hotel hotel.
Leitch who has retained Attorneys-at-Law Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris, has pleaded not guilty to the murder indictment brought against him by State Prosecutors Mandel Moore and Lisa Cave.
Presiding over the trial taking place at the High Court in Georgetown is Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member mixed jury.
Based on information, on November 13, 2013 Leitch and a female companion rented a room at the hotel.
During that time Jagdeo misplaced his cellular phone and confronted Leitch. After Jagdeo’s employees did not see him the following day, they became concerned about his whereabouts and forced their way into his room where they were greeted by his motionless body. Police ranks were later summoned to the scene. Leitch was later arrested and charged for the killing.
Sergeant Conway, who was summoned to the court to tender the caution statement which was taken by Retired Police Sergeant Phillip Bowman, who is out of the jurisdiction, said that he was a witness to the taking of the statement. He recalled that the caution statement was taken from Leitch around 11:00hrs on December 1, 2013 at the Brickdam Police Station.
Recalling the events leading up to the taking of the caution statement, Sergeant Conway said that he put an allegation of murder to Leitch and cautioned him in accordance to the judge’s rule.
But Leitch, Sergeant Conway recalled, replied, “I don’t know anything about any murder.”
According to Sergeant Conway, in the caution statement, Leitch recounted that Joseph had come to his room at the hotel and asked him to leave. The police witness said that Leitch related that he was very angry at what Jagdeo told him and tied his hands together and tied another piece of cloth around his mouth.
Sergeant Conway testified that Leitch confessed that he pushed Jagdeo under the bed in the room before throwing the keys to the door of the room on the bed. “I then guh in he (Jagdeo) office and tek he cell phone. I sorry for what I made happened. I didn’t mean to kill he,” Sergeant Conway recalled Leitch admitted.
During cross-examination by Harris, it was suggested to Leitch that neither he nor Retired Sergeant Bowman inquired from Leitch if he was literate. Sergeant Conway acknowledged that he did not ask the murder accused if he could have read or write. The witness told the court that does not know if Retired Sergeant Bowman did so. Asked by Harris whether the caution statement was read over to his client, Sergeant Conway said that he and Retired Sergeant Bowman read back the contents of the statement to Leitch and even informed him that he could request to alter, correct or change anything.
The witness added that the statement was also given to Leitch for him to read and that he looked at it as though he was reading.
“You are not being truthful to this court,” was a suggestion advanced by Harris to Sergeant Conway who responded, “I am telling the truth and nothing but the truth. At the time he assisted with investigation in this matter, Sergeant Conway held the rank of Corporal and was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Brickdam Police Station.
Also testifying yesterday was Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who disclosed that he conducted a post mortem examination in the remain of Jagdeo on November 15, 2013 at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The doctor said that the hotel owner died as a result of haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head compounded by suffocation and compression to the neck.
In explaining the post mortem report, Dr. Singh related that Jagdeo’s hands were bound together at the wrist with a piece of cloth. That cloth, Dr. Singh revealed, was tied all the way around Jagdeo neck. The pathologist said that he removed a piece of green cloth from Jagdeo’s mouth and that the man’s neck and spine were fractured.
On Monday, the three pillow cases that were used to bind and gag the hotel owner were tendered into evidence by Police Inspector Bharat Mangru, who was the prosecutor assigned to the preliminary inquiry into the offence that was conducted by then Chief Magistrate now Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Inspector Mangru also read into evidence the deposition of Shawntel De Jonge, who during a confrontation with Leitch, said that he had sold her a small grey cell phone for $4,000 on November 14, 2013, at Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
The deposition of Felecia Williams, who testified to meeting Leitch at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) in 2012, was also read into evidence by Inspector Mangru. According to Inspector Mangru, Williams testified that she met Leitch again on November 2, 2013 at Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
Inspector Mangru said that Williams stated that she and Leitch had lived in Room 9 at the hotel and that she “put him out” after she found him with Jagdeo’s phone. Inspector Mangru testified that Williams said that the maintenance man felt sorry for Leitch and permitted him to stay in Room 10.
This trial continues next week Monday.

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