The trial of Shakir Mohamed, the remaining accused in the murder of Shewraney Doobay, will begin today, following the opening of the April session of the Demerara Assizes yesterday at the Supreme Court in Georgetown.
Justices Brassington Reynolds, Roxane George and Navindra Singh will be presiding over the criminal matters to be heard in this session, which is the second of the four sessions for the year.
The session ends in June.
Mohamed, whose trial is being presided over by Justice Reynolds, has denied that on May 24, 2011, he murdered Doobay, called “Monica,” in the course or furtherance of a robbery.
A jury was empanelled yesterday and the first of the 13 state witnesses to be called during the trial will take the stand when the matter officially commences this morning at 9.
Prosecutor Mercedes Thompson represents the state, while attorneys Jainarine and Moti Singh are appearing for the defence.
Doobay, 58, wife of prominent doctor Ramsundar Doobay, was killed in her Echilibar Villas, Campbellville home.
Mohamed had been jointly-charged for the capital offence with Mark Singh, Doobay’s nephew. Singh, however, died in the hospital on January 4, 2012.
According to reports, the woman’s battered body was discovered in her kitchen lying in a pool of blood. She had been struck repeatedly in the head with a blunt instrument.
A post-mortem examination conducted by pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh revealed that she died as a result of eight wounds inflicted to her head.
Meanwhile, Justice George will preside over the trial of 73-year-old Donald Mopp, called “Chetty,” who is indicted for the February 15, 2013 murder of Winsel Roger Edwards.
The senior citizen denied the charge when it was read to him before Justice George and a 12-member jury, which was empanelled yesterday to hear and determine his fate in the matter.
Mopp is represented by attorney Deborah Kumar, while the state’s case will be presented by Prosecutor Stacy Goodings, who will be calling 11 witnesses to the stand.
Edwards, 33, a miner of Guy-Hoc Housing Scheme, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital after being stabbed in his chest with a knife.
The case officially commences this morning at 9:15, when the prosecution is expected to make its opening address and call its first witness.
Additionally, Charles Anthony Woolford will face another retrial before Justice Singh for the murder of his wife Latoya Conway-Woolford.
Woolford is charged with killing his beautician wife, Conway-Woolford on February 8, 2009, at their home in Humming Bird Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt.
The 29-year-old woman was fatally stabbed.
Justice Singh has, however, adjourned Woolford’s matter to May 8 to facilitate his request to retain legal counsel.
The accused told the judge, when asked, that he would not be comfortable with a state-appointed attorney to represent him.
Woolford, who will now be facing a third re-trial, said he has requested attorney Peter Hugh.
Justice Singh, however, informed him that Hugh had indicated to the court that he had not been contacted by any relative of the accused. It was at this point that the accused said it was his father, who is ill at present, who pays for his attorney.
Justice Singh then noted that in the interest of fairness he will give the accused an opportunity to retain Hugh, who had represented him at the previous trials.
In the circumstances, an indictment was not presented by the prosecution, nor was a jury empanelled.
The May 8 adjournment was then granted for Woolford to report on his progress in retaining counsel.
Justice Singh, however, informed the panel of jurors to be present for 9 tomorrow morning, for the empanelment of a jury to commence another case in the interim.
