Murder accused Keith Doris yesterday told the court that he only signed a confession statement after he was beaten and “didn’t able with the licks” anymore at the Cove and John Police Station, when his trial continued before Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes.
It is alleged that on November 24, 2006, Doris murdered Rambarran Singh, 69, called ‘Jaio’ of 26 Good Faith, Mahaicony at his home and business during a robbery.
Singh was found dead in his bed, minutes after an attack was launched on him and his son by three persons posing as customers. A post-mortem examination later revealed that Singh was hit in the head and suffered congestive heart failure as a result.
Yesterday, Doris said that he spent two nights at the Brickdam lockups—December 3 and December 4, 2006—after which he was taken to the Cove and John Police Station by Assistant Superintendent of Police Allwyn Wilson. While being transported there, the accused said he was questioned and was subsequently asked to put his head down and his back was then “trampled” upon.
Doris said that at the station, he was kept in a room and from there, he was taken to Better Hope, East Coast Demerara and then to Sophia, where they only drove around after which he was returned to his room at the Cove and John Police Station. There, he said, he was questioned in relation to the murder and said he had indicated to the police that he was unaware of any such matter. The accused alleged that he was “boxed” by Wilson, after which Wilson placed a plastic bag over his head. He further stated that Wilson, along with Officer Calvin Bailey, started to cuff him about his back and stomach and he then felt a heavy lash to the left side of his chest. “Then I said ahh, y’all gon kill me now… I don’t know nothing,” Doris recalled.
The man said when he was about to lose consciousness, the plastic bag was removed from over his head and he saw Wilson writing on a paper. He said his handcuffs were taken off and he was asked to sign the document. “I told them I can’t write my name or read and they start to laugh at me and say a big man like you can’t write ya own name,” Doris said.
He stated that he asked to make a phone call to his sister to inform her of his whereabouts but was refused that right.
“I started to feel bad after I didn’t get nothing to eat or drink and I didn’t able with the licks so I sign,” he said. Doris told the court that he was kept at the lock-ups before he was taken to court and then placed in jail.
He spoke of the injury he suffered to the left side of his chest, which resulted in swelling, leading to fellow prisoners nicknaming him “Bubby Man.” He subsequently had a surgery performed for the injury and was placed back into the jail with no medication. This, he said, caused the wound to begin clotting and he had to be taken back to the hospital.
He pointed out that his case was not taken to court until August 2007.
“I didn’t go anywhere with anybody and I am innocent of this charge,” Doris concluded.
Earlier, before the state closed its case, pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who performed the post-mortem examination on the body of Singh, was called to the stand by the State.
Prosecutor Prithima Kissoon made an application for Singh to be deemed an expert in Forensic Pathology.
Swollen
In explaining his findings, Singh said that he found the skin on both of the deceased’s legs to be infected, a haemorrhage to the left shoulder, a small laceration, described to be a split in the skin, above his left eyebrow, a haemorrhage to his left and right forehead just at the point of his hairline and one on his neck. The haemorrhaging was said to all be caused by blunt trauma.
Also, Singh’s brain was found to be swollen, his intestines and liver were congested and his kidneys were reduced in size due to the blockage of blood vessels. The respiratory walls too were congested.
The doctor explained that a heart attack is caused when there is damage or injury to the heart caused by blockage in the arteries, while heart failure is the incapability of the heart to function properly. He noted that Singh had suffered a heart attack previous to the incident, which was due to a heart failure.
The heart failure, he said, was a result of his already damaged heart and the trauma he sustained. He added that it was his opinion that the blunt trauma accelerated the death of Singh.
Dr. Singh further stated that of the three blows the man suffered to his head, the most severe would have been the one to his back, behind the ear on his left side.
Defence Counsel George Thomas, in cross-examining the witness, asked if the opinion that the wound behind the ear was most severe was included in the post-mortem report. Singh responded in the negative.
“Neither did you try to test the direction from which the blunt trauma came from,” Thomas asked, to which Singh responded, “Yes, that one came from behind and the two in front came from the front.” The attorney further asked if this information was given in the report as well and Singh again said no.
After inquiry by Thomas, the witness admitted that after seeing thousands of healthy hearts, Singh’s heart was not healthy. When asked if with the body on his table, there were any evidence as to who the attacker may be, Singh said no.
Also representing the state is Konyo Sandiford. The matter will continue today at 9:30am.
