Junior Bourne, who was charged with the murder of Canada-based Guyanese Rawle Harding three years ago, was yesterday found not guilty in the High Court.
It took four hours of deliberation for the 12-member jury to return the unanimous verdict. Bourne of Lot 687 East Ruimveldt was on trial before Justice James Bovell-Drakes for the murder of Harding on March 2, 2010 at Cool Square.
Harding, along with his cousin Clarence Roberts and a taxi driver, was at the bar when two men entered and purchased beverages. They subsequently pulled out guns and confronted Harding and his cousin and one of them grabbed a gold chain Harding was wearing.
Reports are that Harding was shot in his chest after he resisted one of the two gunmen. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving medical attention. The entire incident was also recorded on the bar’s surveillance camera.
The pictures from the camera were also tendered in court to support the evidence of the main witness Andre Patterson, who is the manager of the business. Patterson had testified that after learning of Harding’s death he carried out an inspection of the cameras. He added that he was able to recognise two men who committed the robbery, one of them being Bourne.
Harding’s brother, Burton Harding and his sister, Collette Friday, had also testified that they witnessed the post-mortem examination which was conducted by Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Defence Counsel Hukumchand represented Bourne while Natasha Backer presented the state’s case.
