The retrial of the duo accused of murdering Lakeram Bishundial, who was fatally shot during a robbery at Hope, East Coast Demerara in 2010, continued yesterday in the High Court with an eyewitness testifying that he had seen nothing despite his proximity to the shooting.
Shawn Anthony Thom, called ‘Malik,’ of 128 Third Street, Alexander Village, and Orin David, called ‘Plait Hair,’ are charged with murdering Bishundial, called ‘Mohan,’ of Manilla, Mahaica.
During yesterday’s proceedings, eyewitness Davanauth Persaud told the court that he had been in the front seat of a truck which had been heading west along the East Coast road. Bishundial, he added, had been on his right in the driver’s seat.
The truck had reportedly stopped to allow Bishundial and his younger brother Totaram to engage in a chat. According to reports, two men rode up on a motorcycle. One of the men, who was armed with a gun, got off the motorcycle, approached the two brothers and discharged rounds at Bishundial, hitting him in his abdomen. Totaram in turn jumped into a nearby trench to save his life.
It is then said that the gunman and his accomplice made their way to Totaram’s parked vehicle and demanded cash from his cousin, Seeta Bishundial, who had been in the vehicle at the time. The cash had reportedly been withdrawn from a city bank not long before the shooting.
However, Persaud yesterday stated that he had not seen the shooting occur and maintained that he had not seen the shooter. Later, he said, he saw Totaram confront a man at the Victoria gas station, where he braced the man against a fence. According to Persaud, the man had dreadlocks. The man managed to escape. Under questioning by attorney Trenton Lake, who represents Thom, Persaud also said that he had no reason to go to court and lie.
David is being represented by attorney George Thomas, while the state’s case is being led by Prosecutor Natasha Backer.
The matter will be called again today before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a 12-member jury.
The retrial comes nearly a year after a jury failed to come to a unanimous verdict after nearly four hours of deliberation. For each of the men, they were split 6 to 6.
Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin had closed her case against the men after calling 14 witnesses and a no-case submission entered by the duo’s lawyers was subsequently overruled by then presiding Justice Franklyn Holder.
In 2010, a third man, Sheik Alim Samad of Lot 128 Barr Street, Kitty, was arrested and charged with the murder also but he was discharged at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court. A senior police officer had testified that Samad had given him information, including David’s name, false name and his location.
