The prosecution has closed its case in the Ramchand Persaud murder trial, which will be handed over to the jury for deliberation today after Justice Navindra Singh has summed up the evidence in the High Court.
Persaud is charged with the murder of Victor Antony Persaud, called “Tony,” who he is accused of beating to death in April, 2009, at Grassfield, Lusignan.
Yesterday’s session of the trial saw the defence making a no-case submission, which was overruled by Justice Singh, who then called upon the accused to lead his defence. Persaud, through an unsworn statement, maintained that he had been attacked by “Tony”, who tried to rob him, and he managed to disarm him and struck him in the head.
In his statement to the police, which was admitted into evidence, Persaud had said he was walking home from a wedding house when “Tony” ran out from a dark corner of the street with a piece of wood in his hands. He said that the man approached him and told him “give me everything you get in your pocket!” He said he refused and the man tried to hit him with the wood. He added that he blocked the blow and took away the wood, which he used in turn to hit Persaud to his head. The prosecution and defence will make their closing arguments to the jury today after which the evidence in the trial will be summed up by Justice Singh before the case is handed over to the jury for deliberation. The jury is then expected to return with a guilty or not guilty verdict.
