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Accused and victim had heated argument shortly before murder occurred – witnesses
Murder at Haslington …
Les Charles Critchlow during his initial arraignment.
Murdered: Terence Adams.
Kaieteur News – At least, two witnesses testifying in the murder trial of Les Charles Critchlow recalled that there was a heated disagreement between Charles and his brother- in-law, Terence Adams, mere hours before he (Adams) was stabbed and killed.
Critchlow, 65, called “Uncle Les,” of Haslington East Coast Demerara (ECD), who is currently incarcerated at the Lusignan prisons, joined yesterday’s court proceeding via zoom.
He stands indicted before High Court Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a mixed 12-member jury for the May 12, 2016 murder of his brother-in-law, Adams, called “Uncle Terry” or “Sleepy”.
The witnesses who testified under oath included Janice Nelson and Shellon Marks; both women recalled that Critchlow and Adams had a verbal dispute over some repairs and maintenance work that was to be done to a property.
The witnesses claimed that shortly after the argument, Critchlow went to the upper flat of the house and grabbed a long knife and left the premises hurriedly.
Marks recalled that she was in the yard when Critchlow left in anger with the knife in his possession and she tried to contact Adams who had left to go to a nearby shop.
“I was trying to call Terry to tell him that Uncle Les coming round by the shop but Digicel like had a problem and the phone wasn’t working,” Marks told the court in her testimony.
She revealed to the court that while she is not related to Critchlow, she has children with his son Les Critchlow Jr.
Similarly, Nelson, Critchlow’s reputed wife, recalled that her husband had grabbed a long reddish handle knife and left.
She said that not long after, a van load of policemen came to her home to inform her that her brother Terry was stabbed to death.
The witness said that she learnt then that her reputed husband was taken in for questioning for the killing.
The woman faced several questions as it relates to the description of the knife from defence attorney, Maxwell McKay.
She nonetheless, maintained that she had seen her husband leave her kitchen armed with the reddish handle knife.
Additionally, Leyland Nelson, the brother of the deceased, recalled that he was informed of his brother’s death while he was on his way to the shop.
Nelson recalled too that his brother and Critchlow had “a talking,” earlier that day.
The witness was keen to note that the two men had what he referred to as a “talking”, and not “no big problems.”
He said that he was shock to find out that his brother had died because he didn’t expect anything to escalate from the matter.
In addition to the relatives, police constable, Joel Chism, testified to visiting the crime scene and taking photographic exposures of the victim’s body as well as the scene of the killing.
The policeman also recalled taking DNA blood samples from the accused for forensic processing.
At the commencement of the matter last week, Critchlow pleaded not guilty to the offence which was presented to him.
State Counsel, Tiffini Lyken and Nafeeza Baig provided the Court with the particulars of the matter.
According to state counsel, the murder stemmed from a dispute the accused had with his daughter.
During his initial appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Critchlow reportedly told the Magistrate that he was involved in a family dispute which turned violent. He claimed that he was wounded in a bid to defend himself against his attacker.
The man also claimed that after the fracas, he was arrested but was not allowed to seek medical attention for the injuries he sustained to his head and other parts of his body.
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