Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Bartica massacre convict found not guilty of Triumph double murder
Mark Royden Williams.
Kaieteur News – Mark Royden Williams, who is known notoriously for his involvement in the Lusignan and Bartica massacres, was yesterday found not guilty of the double murder, which occurred in December 2007 at Triumph, East Coast Demerara.
Williams called ‘Durant’ or ‘Smallie,’ was acquitted after a mixed 12-member jury found him unanimously not guilty of the crime. He will however remain in prison since he is serving time for the mass killings at Bartica. Williams was previously acquitted for the Lusignan killings, after his conviction and sentence was overturned via an appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Williams had faced almost a week of trial as it relates to the murder of 35-year-old Rajesh Singh and 25-year-old Fazil Hakim, the two men who were murdered at Lot 82 Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on December 16, 2007. At the beginning of his trial before Justice, Sandil Kissoon, the former accused pleaded not guilty to the indictment.
His acquittal comes days after defence attorney, Nigel Hughes, called Michael Caesar who was jointly charged with him {Williams} for the double murder to testify on his behalf. Caesar, who is currently serving time in prison after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the crime, testified under oath, that although he was charged alongside Williams for the crime, he [Williams] was not there when the act was committed.
Additionally, Hughes challenged testimonies of Detective Inspector of Police Suraj Singh and Police Sergeant Rodwell Sarabo. The evidence of the two officers related to a Caution Statement (CS), which implicated Williams in the act. In the statement, Williams purportedly admitted to being the lookout man for the notorious Bartica massacre crew as they robbed and murdered two men at Triumph.
According to that statement, while Williams admitted to being there, he said he did not do the actual shooting; he was just the lookout man. The CS added too, that Williams said that he was not armed with any gun he only had a cutlass.
In challenging the credibility of the CS, the lawyer put several questions to the officers Singh and Sarabo, enquiring whether his client faced any form of intimidation or threat while giving the statement. The lawyer asked specifically if his client had been shackled, beaten or faced any form of violence at the time he was giving the statement. Both officers denied the suggestions, instead, claiming that the statement was freely and voluntarily given.
In addition to this, Williams in leading a defence, told the court that he had nothing to do with the death of the two men who police reports had indicated were imbibing at a shop owned by Narendra Mukhram at Agriculture Road, Triumph when they were shot and killed.
Meanwhile, the facts provided by State Counsel, Lisa Cave and Tyra Bakker, related that at the time of his demise, Hakim called “Boyee,” resided at Mon Repos, ECD, while Singh called “Rabbit,” lived at Martyrs Ville, ECD.
Mukhram reportedly went to close the shop when he was confronted by three men who were armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun. One of the gunmen held him at gunpoint and took him to his home next door. The other two gunmen entered the shop and one of them ordered the three patrons to lie on the ground. When they hesitated, the gunmen opened fire, killing Singh and Hakim. Over at the house, the armed men held Mukhram’s wife and children at gunpoint and demanded jewellery and cash. According to information, they handed over $500,000 in jewellery and $300,000 cash to the gunmen.
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