Devar Kissoon, on trial for assaulting two sex workers in drive-by shootings, had the charges against him dismissed yesterday.
Kissoon, 28, of Lot 41 Almond Street, Eccles, was charged with assaulting Seon Persaud, also known as ‘Isabella,’ and Micron Bennons, in two separate attacks in which they were shot at with a pellet gun.
It was alleged that Kissoon assaulted Isabella, causing actual bodily harm, on April 7, 2014, at King Street and North Road, and that on the same day he assaulted Bennons to cause actual bodily harm at King and Charlotte streets.
In handing down her decision at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, Mag-istrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond explained that Isabella gave conflicting accounts of her ability to positively identify Kissoon as the person who shot at her. Prosecutor Renetta Bentham emphasised that Isabella was unable to say definitively that it was the defendant who had inflicted injuries on him.
In relation to Bennons, the charges were dismissed because of Bennons’ failure to attend court to testify against the defendant, as well as the absence of some police witnesses to give evidence.
Kissoon had denied the charges at his arraignment on June 3rd, last year, before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. He was admitted to $50,000 bail on each charge.
It was the prosecution’s case that Kissoon, on April 7 at 8 pm, saw Isabella among friends at King Street and North Road, and Bennons at King and Charlotte Streets and allegedly shot them with a pellet gun.
In presenting the facts of the case, Police Prosecutor Jomo Nichols had stated that the defendant was driving a mini-van, with licence plate number, GMM 5810, when he stopped at both locations and allegedly committed the assaults. The attacks were reported, Nichols said, and investigations led to the arrest of Kissoon.
Kissoon was represented by attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat.
Four witnesses testified in the case.
