Marlon Ganesh, who is on trial for killing his father-in-law, yesterday told the jury that he was trying to defend himself when he fatally stabbed the man.
Ganesh made the admission after Justice Dawn Gregory overruled the no case submission made by his lawyer and called on him to lead a defence when his trial continued in the High Court.
Ganesh is on trial for the 2008 murder of his father-in-law, Roopnarine Singh after an argument between the two men over fried chicken.
In his unsworn statement to the court yesterday, Ganesh reiterated what he had said in his statement to police, saying he stabbed Singh in self defence. He recalled that he was drinking along with his father-in-law and his ex-wife on the 25th of December, 2008 at a “lil gathering,” after which he and the woman had a misunderstanding. He said that he and Singh ‘get into the argument’ and told him to move out of the home. He added that he went into the house to get his clothes and while he was packing Singh attacked him. He said he tried to defend himself with a “lil knife,” which he used to stab Singh.
Ganesh admitted that he “fire juk” at Singh and was attacked by other persons. He managed to escape and went into the interior. When he returned, he said, he heard Singh had died. Singh succumbed to his injuries in January of the next year.
Ganesh added that he had the mark to show that he was attacked by Singh and asked if he could show it to the jurors. Justice Gregory said he was free to do so since he was giving an unsworn statement. As a result, Ganesh showed jurors the right side of his back, which had a mark.
State Prosecutor Renita Singh had called seven witnesses, including Ganesh’s ex-wife to testify. Singh was an eyewitness to the row which resulted in the death of her father.
But Ganesh told the court that his ex-wife Babloo Singh told a lot of lies in her testimony.
Defence attorney Hukumchand also made his final submissions yesterday, saying that Ganesh’s ex-wife conveniently left out that the fact that Singh had chopped the accused. He also said that Babloo wanted the jury to believe that her father was a “saint.” Self-defence, he said, looms large in the case and he emphasised that Singh was stabbed only after he wounded Ganesh. The case will continue today.
