The confession of murder accused Lloyd Rampersaud was admitted as evidence in his trial by Justice Navindra Singh yesterday.
Concluding a voir dire (trial within a trial) that was being conducted on the admissibility of the statement, Justice Singh ruled that it was taken freely and voluntarily, thereby allowing the prosecution to tender it as evidence.
Brothers Roy and Lloyd Rampersaud are on trial before Justice Singh in the High Court for the murder of Munilall Mangru, called ‘Boy,’ whose body was found under a bridge linking Mon Repos and Triumph in February 2009.
Attorney Euclin Gomes is representing the accused while prosecutors Konyo Thompson and Dhanika Singh are leading the state’s case.
In his statement to the police, Lloyd had said that on the day of the incident, he, Shaeed Baksh, called ‘Towley,’ and Mangru went to buy $20,000 cocaine from someone in his street. Baksh was one of the men charged with the murder but the charge against him was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Lloyd said that after they bought the cocaine, the three of them went under a bridge at Triumph public road and smoked it. He said “Towley then bling me and tell me dat Boy get nuff money and we plan to rob he.
Towley vice he and me lash he with a piece of wood on he face and me see he tongue come out. Towley then cuff he up pon he face and me then tek out all he money from he crotch,” he also said in the statement.
The total amount of money Mangru had on him was $40,000 and it was divided in half between him and Baksh, Lloyd also said, adding that afterward he went home and he told his brother Roy what happened. He added that he also went to drink some high wine and smoked out the money he stole from Mangru.
Meanwhile, police witness Radesh Persaud testified yesterday and was cross-examined by Gomes.
He also read the statement of the accused, which he had taken.
When asked by Thompson if he knew the accused prior to the incident, he said they were known to him before the murder since he had arrested them on several occasions in connection to other crimes. He also stated when asked by Thompson that he knew Mangru as well because he too was arrested for a previous matter.
The trial will continue on Monday.
