Defence counsel Lyndon Amsterdam yesterday asked the jury to believe in the innocence of murder accused Cyon Collier, saying that he had an alibi while also suggesting that a now dead wanted man could have committed the crime.
It is alleged that Collier, known as ‘Picture Boy,’ murdered Chandrapaul Persaud, 34, called ‘Kero Man,’ on September 30, 2006. Persaud was shot by one of three gunmen who launched an attack on him outside his Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara home, moments after he drove his vehicle into the yard.
Amsterdam, in a five-and-half hour long address to the jury and Justice Winston Patterson, said that his client was only found in the house at Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara, where the murder weapon was recovered but he had no knowledge of them.
He further suggested that the weapons belonged to Anthony ‘Kussum’ Charles, who was gunned down by police, or the owner of the home who had reported to the police that his home was inhabited by bandits. The man had said that he only became aware of this after reading about the capture of Collier found in his home in the newspaper.
Amsterdam told the court that the prosecution has not proved what was the cause of death and could not present one theory of how Persaud met his death. He added that the prosecution is relying on the wife of the deceased, Nazeeme Ishack, who identified Collier in an identification parade as one of the perpetrators who had intruded on her home.
He further suggested that Assistant Superintendent of Police Linden Lord was present on October 5, 2006 when Collier was found at the Bachelor’s Adventure house and was also there at the ID parade. He indicated that Lord was required to call Ishack to identify the accused and said that she was advised by Lord on who to choose since he knew who was found with the weapons at the house.
The lawyer proceeded to read passages from several cases from the Court of Appeal about what judges pronounced in matters of identification. He indicated that Kussum’s description would match that of Collier and noted that it was Kussum who was there on September 30, 2006 and not Collier.
Amsterdam then came to the conclusion that the prosecution is basing their case on the ID parade and on the fact that his client was found with the AK-47 that was used in the murder but said that he would “show that there were contradictions in material particulars.”
He went on to attack Assistant Superintendent of Police Michael Kingston, stating that he is a stranger to the truth. “Kingston and all the police officers resort to trickery to nail a man and if they find a weapon with a man they try to link him with all the crime that weapon was used in,” Amsterdam said.
He also disputed the post-mortem report which was composed by Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, reiterating that multiple gunshot wounds can not be considered a cause of death. He also stated that the prosecution could not prove that the autopsy was performed on Persaud’s body because Captain Floyd Hossanah said the body was draped in an orange t-shirt while Pathologist Singh said the corpse was clothed in an orange vest in the report. Also, Amsterdam said, there were other men of East Indian descent awaiting post-mortem examinations that day, indicating that the examination was performed on the wrong man. He told the jury if they found that it was the wrong corpse, they must end the matter right there and find Collier innocent.
After stating that Dr. Singh failed to include in his report that Persaud’s body was dissected and everything that was done should have been reported, Amsterdam proceeded to read lengthy excerpts from the autopsy report of John F. Kennedy who was assassinated, which he said he downloaded from the internet, to show how an autopsy report should be done.
In opening his address, Amsterdam had told the jury that the prosecution is tasked with satisfying them that Collier is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He further told the jury that if they are left unsure at the end of matter, the law says that they must resolve that doubt in favour of the accused.
The case will continue today at 9:30am.
