Two of the three men who pleaded guilty to manslaughter two weeks ago, testified yesterday that their co-accused, Parsram Lalchand called ‘Desmond’ and Satesh Singh, were not involved in the beating to death of Niranjan.
Vishnu and Vishal Singh were called by the defence to give evidence in the trial which is being conducted before Justice Navindra Singh in the High Court.
They were called as witnesses by defence counsel Hukumchand, who is representing the two men along with Moses Nagamootoo. The state’s case is that they along with Vishal, Babzie called ‘Solex,’ and Vishnu Singh murdered Niranjan on July 29, 2008.
Vishal, Vishnu and Babzie were sentenced to 15 years in prison two weeks ago after they pleaded guilty to manslaughter, while another co-accused, Akash Singh, was freed after the prosecution withdrew the murder charge against him.
Vishal’s evidence was that on the day of the incident he was at home with his father Babzie and brothers, Akash and Vishnu. He said his father was drinking and he heard a noise on the Annandale Pump Road. He said “when I look out I see Parsram Lalchand and four other people. Dem went by Desmond…” According to Vishal, Lalchand does not live far from him.
Vishal added that the men, including Niranjan, went to his home and stated that they had lost a bicycle but his father told them that he does not own a bicycle. Lalchand then left the men with the Singhs and went home and the men began to argue with the Singhs. Vishal stated that he and his father went inside and Vishnu was left arguing with the men.
While he was inside, Vishal said, Babita went and told him something and he ran outside. When he went outside he saw the men beating Vishnu. The men then ran away but came back with bricks in their hands. Vishal told the court that he picked up a wood and “fired” a lash. He said “I don’t know where the lash ketch…”
Vishnu told the court a similar story in his evidence. He said he was at home when he saw Lalchand and four other men approaching their house talking about a bicycle. He said the men went to them and Lalchand told the men that he got the bicycle from his father who is Babzie also.
At this point, Justice Singh asked Vishnu if Satesh was there and he replied, “Sir, leh me tell you de honest truth, me neva see de boy…me and he nah no fren…”
Vishnu also said, “Desmond lef afta he tell dem he got get d bicycle from me fada and he walk go home and dem men walk come to me…” He said the men began to beat him, causing his brother, Vishal, and father to run to his assistance. The men then left and came back shortly after with bricks in their hands, Vishnu added.
He continued “Vishal pick up piece wood and he fire a lash. All I hear is de lash fire but I don’t know way side de lash ketch… Me bruda throw way de wood…”
Vishnu also said that the last time he saw Lalchand was when he took the men to verify his story about the bicycle and that he never saw him when the men were beating him.
State Prosecutor Konyo Thompson, who represented the state along with Dhanika Singh, cross-examined both of the defence witnesses.
Under cross-examination, Vishnu said that he could not see who Vishal hit with the wood but said when asked by Thompson how he saw that it was Vishal who “fired” the lash, “you can see man, it nah so dark..if the place dark you must see close …”
Vishnu also said in his evidence that after Vishal “fired” the lash, he saw a man run and fall down. He was then asked by the jury how he could have seen that the man fell down after the lash and he replied, “after he run off I know that he gah fuh fall…”
On Friday, the prosecution had closed its case and Satesh and Lalchand were asked to lead their defences, which they did through unsworn statements.
Satesh told the court that he was not at the scene at anytime. He said he had gone to collect money from his father for his mother and was riding home when he saw three persons coming out of Annandale Pump Road. According to him, the persons were shouting “yo! yo!’’ He said he could not see their faces and he continued to ride home. Satesh also said that he is a labourer and was riding home when he was picked up by the police. The police took him to the station and placed him on a bench to sit, then in a room.
While he was sitting in the room, he claimed, a black plastic bag was placed over his head and someone was shocking him but he did not know what they were shocking him with.
Meanwhile, Lalchand accepted in his defence that he had borrowed the bicycle from Vishal and gone to the shop. While he was at the shop the men, including Niranjan, went and asked him about the bicycle and he told them where he got it from.
Lalchand also said that he took the men to Vishal’s home and he called out Babzie, Vishal and Vishnu and asked them to tell the men “…if y’all ain’t just lend me this bicycle and Vishal said yes…”
He stated that he then took Asraf Khan, a prosecution witness who is the son-in-law of Niranjan, to his home to wash his foot after he had slipped in some mud. Lalchand also said that he saw Babzie coming out of his house with a cutlass and he said “y’all lef me f@#%ing son on dah road and he begin to walk towards them [Niranjan and the others]…”
He continued “a see Vishal Singh come out with two piece a wood in both hands…” Niranjan and others then ran and Lalchand said that he told Vishal “y’all can’t do the people dem nothing. He said f@#% you…”
Khan had identified the six accused as the men who beat his father-in-law during an argument over a bicycle. The men had allegedly stolen Niranjan’s bicycle and Lalchand was later seen with it. Niranjan then confronted him and he told him that he got the bike from Vishal.
Lalchand then took Niranjan, Khan and three other persons to Vishal’s house where an argument ensued. Khan said Babzie came out of the house with a cutlass and chopped Niranjan while the other men beat him with pieces of wood. Niranjan died two days later.
The state will make its closing arguments to the jury and Justice Singh is expected to sum up the evidence of the case before handing it over to the jury for deliberation when the case continues today.
