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One freed in murder of Sophia bread vendor
Tears of joy were shed in the courtroom of Justice Navindra Singh when a 12-member jury was ordered to return a formal verdict of not guilty for Shaquille Grant, one of the men who were on trial for the May 5, 2017 murder of Sophia bread vendor, Andre Alexander.
KILLED: Andre Alexander
Alexander was shot and killed by two men on a motorcycle.
Grant and Neville Forde were charged with the murder of 42-year-old Alexander. The prosecution led by State Counsel Tuanna Hardy closed its case on Friday. Grant’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, later made a no-case submission.
Among other things, Hughes contended that the evidence against his client was tenuous, and should not be sent to the jury for deliberation.
Yesterday, Justice Singh upheld the no-case submission, thereby discharging Grant and telling him that he was free to go. Grant walked out of the prisoner’s dock calmly and was greeted by his relatives who hugged and kissed him compassionately.
Meanwhile, Forde is still facing the music. He was called on to lead a defence and he chose to give an unsworn testimony.
FREED: Shaquille Grant
Forde told the jurors, “I am innocent of this charge. I was arrested on May 9 (2017). No one cautioned me and I did not give any statement. I did not tell the police anything about Bread Man murder. I don’t know anything about Bread Man murder. I do not know Shaquille Grant.” Forde’s lawyer is Adrian Thompson.
Justice Singh will sum up the evidence this morning before putting the case to the jury for its deliberation on a verdict.
When the trial commenced last week, prosecution witness, Paulburn David, said he was unable to make out the facial features of two men, both of whom hopped onto a motorcycle and made good their escape after Alexander was shot. David said that he lived in close proximity to the stand where Alexander sold bread.
He added that he and Alexander attended the same school.
MURDER ACCUSED: Neville Forde
According to him, on the night in question, he was at home watching television when he heard two explosive sounds. Curious about what was happening, David said he peeped outside where he noticed a man sitting on a “CG-type motorcycle”. The witness said that seconds later, another man ran and jumped onto the motorcycle and sped off.
Questioned by State Prosecutor, Teriq Mohamed, as to whether he was able to identify either of the men’s facial features, David replied in the negative, but said that they were not wearing masks. He said, too, that one of them was “slim built.” The witness recalled that the men wore dark-coloured clothing and that the motorcycle was probably black or dark blue.
Another prosecution witness, O’Neil Bovell, a bus driver, also of Sophia, said that on May 5, 2017, he was driving out of the community in his minibus when he was stopped by a group of people who told him that somebody had just been shot. He said that persons placed Alexander, whom he knew, inside of the bus, and he transported him to the Georgetown Public Hospital. He said that while on the way to the hospital, Alexander complained of “feeling weak.”
According to previous reports, Alexander, of Lot 394 ‘C’ Field Sophia, died during surgery. He was attacked by two men on a motorcycle at his bread stand which is situated about four doors from his home. Police said that two men rode up on a motorcycle and the pillion rider requested three loaves of bread. He then paid with a $5000 note.
While Alexander was in the process of making change, the ‘customer’ whipped out a gun and demanded cash. When Alexander put up a fight, the robber discharged two rounds, one of which struck the vendor in the abdomen. The two men then relieved him of his cash and escaped with three loaves of bread.
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