A witness yesterday testified that one of the accused in the murder of Dental Technician Vishnu Santiee confessed to her.
Peter Ray Kassim, known as ‘Donkey’ and Satnanand Sahadeo, called ‘Boysie,’ are accused of murdering Santiee, 34, Lot 57 Stewartville Pasture, West Coast Demerara, on June 29, 2005. Santiee was shot seven times.
Deowattie Lysek, known as ‘Shelly,’ who was living at Lot 14 Stewartville, a street away from the Santiee’s residence, in 2005, testified yesterday. She said that about two weeks after the man’s death, a neighbour, David Boucher, called her from her snackette to his kitchen, where she found Sahadeo with a gun in his hand. Lysek told the court that the accused asked her if she had any oil which he could use to clean his gun. She said that the man explained that after going to the home of the deceased, the weapon got nasty after he threw it in some water.
Sahadeo, Lysek said, admitted that the gun was used to shoot Santiee. The woman said she asked Sahadeo why he had shot Vishnu, since he was a quiet and peaceful person.
Lysek subsequently started crying and indicated to Justice Franklin Holder that she did not want to continue giving evidence. After a two hour adjournment, she returned to the stand and continued her testimony. She related that Sahadeo had told her he had to shoot the man since he (Santiee) recognized him and noticed he was reaching to his waist, explaining that he was under the impression that Santiee had a gun. Lysek said she was then asked for $1,500, which Sahadeo said he would use to purchase bullets, but she told him she did not have the money and left the house. The woman said she did not tell anyone about what happened since she was very afraid.
On October 27, 2005, she continued, the police went to her home and escorted her to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station to give a statement. There, Lysek said she met with Boucher and his wife, Coreen Brooks, who previously testified.
Brooks had told the court that a week after the murder, Sahadeo, whom she had known for about eight years, was sitting in her home with a gun in his hand. Police had later presented a gun to her and she had indicated that it was not the same weapon.
Under cross-examination by Sahadeo’s lawyer, George Thomas, Lysek said she did not say anything because she was scared and did not want to get involved in the case and further said that her statement to the police was given under pressure.
Corporal Hazrat Mohamed had previously told the court that on October 10, 2005, at 1:07am, the two accused, along with three others, were arrested by police while in a minibus. He said they were taken to the Leonora Police Station, where an allegation was put to them. Kassim had allegedly told the police that he had seen one of the men throwing a gun out of the bus when police were stopping them.
He volunteered to take ranks back to the Stewartville Old Road, where they were stopped to find the weapon. There, Mohamed said Kassim picked up a yellow cloth and showed him the weapon.
Also taking the stand yesterday was Sergeant Eon Jackson, who continued his testimony from the previous day.
Jackson, who is deemed a Ballistics expert, said he received a parcel containing a .38 special Smith & Wesson revolver from Corporal Mohamed in October 2005. From Corporal Norris Harry, he said, he received an envelope containing a .38 special fired bullet and .380 fire jacketed bullet. He recalled discharging two rounds into a bullet catcher and comparing them to the fired .38 bullet he received from Harry and found that the striation marks were in sequence with all three. With this, he said he formed the opinion that the fired .38 bullet taken to him by Harry was fired from the revolver taken by Mohamed.
Expected to be the next witness is David Boucher. The matter will continue today.
