There was a voir dire as the trial of Kenise Glasgow, the man accused of the almost decade-old murder of nine-year-old Christine Sookra, continued yesterday in the High Court.
Basil Williams, who is Glasgow’s lawyer, made a successfulapplication to Justice Roxane George for a voir dire (trial within a trial) into the admissibility of Glasgow’s caution statement. The voir dire will resume when the trial continues today.
Sookra was shot dead by bandits during an attempt to break into her home at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, on August 28, 2004. Unable to gain entry into her home, bandits had opened fire on it.
The state is being represented by prosecutors Natasha Baker and Rhondel Weever.
Meanwhile, in Justice Dawn Gregory’s court, the trial of Mortimer Melville and Jevon Ismond for the murder of former presidential guard Nasir Alli started with the prosecution presenting three witnesses, after which the defence made an application for a voir dire to be conducted.
The brother and wife of Alli, Wasir Alli and Gaitree Alli, respectively, gave their evidence after which Nandalall Narine was called to the witness box. Narine was only allowed to give part of his evidence-in-chief because in the midst of his testimony, defence lawyer Hookumchand made an application for a voir dire to be held. State prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Renita Singh had no objection to the defence’s application.
It is alleged that Melville, a bus conductor of 93 Prince William Street, Plaisance, and of Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust, and Ismond killed Alli on August 21, 2007, during a robbery at Better Hope, East Coast. The voir dire will continue today
