The trial of the three men accused of the 2008 Lusignan massacre, in which 11 persons were killed, will begin on Monday in the High Court.
James Anthony Hyles, called ‘Sally’ of 70 Friendship, East Coast Demerara, Mark Royden Williams, called Royden Durant or ‘Smallie’ of Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara and Dwane Williams are to be tried for the murders.
The trio is accused of killing 48-year-old Clarence Thomas, his 12-year-old daughter Vanessa Thomas and his son Ron Thomas; 32-year-old Mohandai Gourdat and her two sons, four-year-old Seegobind Harrilall and ten-year-old Seegopaul Harrilall; 22-year-old Shazam Mohamed; 55-year-old Shaleem Baksh; Seecharran Rooplall, 56, his wife Dhanrajie Ramsingh, 52, and their 11-year-old daughter Raywattie Ramsingh on January 26, 2008.
The men were said to be part of a large group of gunmen who descended on Tract ‘A’ Lusignan and launched a 20-minute blitz on five houses.
The killings at Lusignan had come mere hours after gunmen in a car launched an astonishingly brazen attack on Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. Observers had expressed the belief that that assault was a diversionary ploy to focus the security forces’ attention in the city while the criminals created terror on the East Coast.
