Accused in wedding house murder to lead defence

Nov 01, 2019 News

Rajen Dindial, the accused in the murder of Alston Henry, who was beaten at a wedding house and later died, was yesterday called on by trial Judge Jo-Ann Barlow to lead a defence. This was after Justice Barlow over ruled a no-case submission made by his lawyer Nigel Hughes, at the close of the prosecution’s case on Wednesday.

MURDER ACCUSED: Rajen Dindial

Dindial returns to court on Monday, November 11, to lead his defence during which he is expected to call witnesses. The next day, Tuesday, November 12, the Judge will sum up the evidence before putting the case to the jury for deliberation on a verdict. After calling several witnesses in the trial of 34-year-old Dindial, State Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Shawnette Austin closed their case.

Dindial is accused of the September 3, 2017 murder of Alston Henry who was beaten at a wedding house at Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara. It is alleged that Dindial, of Lot 653 Section ‘C’ Block Y Golden Grove, murdered Henry at Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara. It was reported that Dindial and Henry were at a wedding celebration at a house when an argument ensued between them after Henry pushed down a portable toilet and refused to pick it up.

The court heard that Dindial became annoyed and armed himself with a paddle and dealt the victim several lashes about his body.
The court heard that Henry fell unconscious and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he succumbed some time after.

During his testimony, Police Lance Corporal Detective Rameshwar Singh, who is currently stationed at the Brickdam Police Station and attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said that during September 2017, he was stationed at the Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara where he was also attached to CID.

He recalled that on September 3, 2017, he was performing duties when Police Sergeant Detective Conway, who was also stationed at the Grove Police Station, made a request for a crime scene photographer to visit the scene of an alleged murder. As a result of his superior’s request, Lance Corporal Singh, who was then a Constable, said he armed himself with a digital camera and proceeded to the scene in the company of other police ranks and one Dwayne Williams, the brother of Henry.

On arrival, he said that Williams pointed to a spot where his brother had been lying sometime back. According to the police witness, he took several photographs of the area as well as a paddle, which was later lodged at the police station. He recalled that after taking the photographs, he took the camera’s memory card to CID Headquarters, Eve Leary Crime Laboratory where he printed 24 coloured photographs. He said that he returned to the Grove Police Station where he secured 12 of the photographs in his drawer.

The remaining photographs, Lance Corporal Singh said, were handed over to Sergeant Conway who had requested they be placed in the crime file. The 12 photographs were tendered and marked as exhibits in the trial. Lance Corporal Singh gave a description of what the photographs were depicting to the court. The jurors were allowed to examine the photographs.

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