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Sister of murdered businessman ‘aware he had enemies’
Executed city businessman, Oriley Small, had many enemies. This is according to his sister, Charlene Forde, who says she is personally aware of this. Forde told this to a jury yesterday when she was called to testify in the trial of Morris Prince, 33, formerly of Riverview Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who is accused of the murder.
Small, 31, of Lot 2 Smyth Street, was shot at least ten times just as he returned home after a night out at one of the city nightspots on March 19, 2016. He was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Murder accused: Morris Prince
According to information, Small had just entered his yard through the front gate and was walking through a dark pathway at the side of the house to get to the back of the property when a man, dressed in a hooded T-shirt, confronted him.
There are reports that the father of one said, “Hey boy move from deh” to the gunman, who then opened fire. Small reportedly tried to flee, but slipped and fell. It was reported that as Small lay on the ground, the hooded shooter stood above him and pumped several bullets into him.
Forde told the court that the day prior to his demise, her brother left his Lot 2 Smyth Street, Georgetown home for Rio Inn, where he had worked as a security personnel. She said that she celebrated her birthday on March 19, 2016. She said that in the wee hours of that morning, she was at home when her brother called her via phone for her to open the door.
According to the woman, this was something her brother would customarily do. The witness told the jurors that as she was about to open the door when she heard rapid gunshots followed by her brother saying, “aye boy aye.”
Further, in her testimony, the woman recalled that after her brother was shot, she saw a man about six feet two inches in height walking away. According to her, that individual was slim built and was wearing a black ‘hoodie’, which had a marijuana leaf at the back.
Murdered: Oriley Small
The witnesses said that she was unable to get a good look at the man who she suspected had shot her brother, since there was a boutique in the vicinity of her home which obstructed her view.
The witness however detailed that the shooter walked out of their yard. She said she later heard loud screams from her mother coming from the back of their yard and when she got there, she saw her brother lying face down with what appeared to be blood on his face.
Under cross-examination by Prince’s lawyer Mark Waldron, it was put to Forde that in her police statement she said that she was personally aware that her brother had many enemies. The woman agreed with this suggestion and admitted to knowing Prince, who she said was a friend of her brother.
Also testifying was former Police Sergeant Eon Jackson, a Science Officer, attached to the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL). According to Jackson, during 2016, he was a Sergeant of Police stationed at the Ballistics Section at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Jackson recalled that on March 21, 2016, he received two evidence bags from one of the police ranks investigating the killing. The witness told the court that the first bag contained 10-fired .40 casings, which are components of a firearm. The second bag, he added, contained two fired .40 bullets. He reasoned that the bullets were either fired from a .40 or 10mm pistol.
Police Constable Christopher Persaud, who is a crime scene rank, testified to visiting the crime scene where he took several coloured photographs of things of evidential value, including the motionless body of a man, which was lying on a parapet.
Meanwhile, former Police Corporal Derwin Eastman, who is currently on remand for a murder charge, testified that on March 19, 2016, he was performing duties at the Brickdam Police Station, where he was the Subordinate Officer in charge of the Crime Intelligence Unit, when a man on a bicycle came and reported something.
Based on that report, Eastman said he dispatched patrol ranks to a house at Lot 2 Smyth Street, Georgetown. The mother and aunt of the deceased also testified.
Morris Prince is on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown. State Counsel Tuana Harding, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohamed are appearing for the prosecution. This trial is continuing.
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