Murder accused Rudolph Williams was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter by a jury in the High Court yesterday.
Williams was set free when the 12-member mixed jury returned with unanimous not-guilty verdicts for both offences after spending close to three hours deliberating on the evidence presented in the case.
After the jury foreman read the verdict, Justice Brassington Reynolds, who presided over the case, told Williams that he was free to go.
Justice Reynolds also told Williams that he had “a very close shave” and he trusts that he has benefited from the experience.
He also told him that he has his lawyer, George Thomas, to thank and God.
Williams was on trial for the murder of Naomi Singh, who he allegedly killed on May 1, 2009 in Essequibo.
State prosecutors Natasha Backer and Dhanika Singh had presented a number of witnesses in the case but their primary evidence against the accused was the statement he had given to the police in which he admitted to killing Singh.
The statement was admitted as evidence in the case and was given to the jury as evidence to deliberate on.
It also quoted Williams as saying that he chopped Singh to the neck resulting in her falling in a muddy drain.
He had also told police that he was sorry for what he has done.
Upon hearing that he was a free man, Williams exited the prisoners’ dock and was greeted by his father who could not fight back his tears as he hugged his son.
But as Williams and his father left the courtroom, relatives of Singh could not contain themselves and they burst into tears.
Singh’s mother stood up in the courtroom and showed the judge a picture of her daughter as she mouthed something to the court before exploding into loud screams. She and another relative were then taken out of the courtroom.
As they gathered in the corridor of the court shocked at the jury’s decision, the family said that despite Williams being freed, there is a God and that there is no justice in the court system.
