Shakir Mohamed, who is on trial for the murder of Shewraney Doobay, showed investigators where to recover a claw hammer that was believed to have been used in the fatal attack, a police witness testified yesterday.
Mohamed, the remaining accused, is on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a 12-member jury, for allegedly murdering Doobay, called “Monica,” in the course or furtherance of a robbery on May 24, 2011.
He has denied the charge.
Police witness Morgan Chalmers, who was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Brickdam Police Station in 2011, recalled investigators finding a black plastic bag containing the claw hammer in a gutter in the vicinity of the deceased’s home.
He said that Mohamed, who was present, pointed to a spot in the drain, after which a police officer went in. After about 5 minutes of searching, the officer retrieved the black plastic bag that contained the hammer.
Chalmers said that after cautioning Mohamed, in accordance with the judge’s rules, the man replied, “This is the hammer.”
The witness testified that nephew of the deceased, Mark Singh, who was jointly-charged with Mohamed for the murder, was also present when the hammer was found. Singh, died in the hospital on January 4, 2012.
Chalmers said that after the bag was found, he asked both men if “that was the bag” and they nodded their heads up and down, “to mean yes.”
Meanwhile, Chalmers also recalled visiting the scene of the murder at Stone Avenue and Fifth Street, Campbellville, on May 24, 2011.
Once there, the witness said he observed the body of a female, whom he later learnt to be Doobay, lying face down on the kitchen floor, with arms stretched out. He said he saw what appeared to be dried blood in the area where the head was resting.
Chalmers testified also of observing three apparent puncture wounds to the head; one above the right ear, one on the forehead and one in the centre of the head. He estimated the wounds to be about half an inch in depth, one and a half inches in length and about one inch in width.
He said when the body was turned over on its back, he saw a swelling around the left-eye area, and noticed that the left arm was wrapped in a small towel. When the towel was removed, it was revealed that the middle finger of the left hand was “mashed up.”
The court also heard from Chalmers that further searches of the house unearthed a 9mm Glock pistol and a magazine with 17 rounds, for which Dr Ramsundar Doobay, husband of the deceased, produced his licence.
He said that in a bedroom in the upper flat of the house, where the gun was found, he and other ranks found a bag in an unlocked wardrobe. It contained a quantity of bundled bills, which amounted to $10.4M
The witness said he took possession of both the gun and cash.
Mohamed’s attorney, Jainarine Singh, who appears in association with attorney Moti Singh, cross-examined Chalmers.
The state’s case is presented by Prosecutor Mercedes Thompson.
The trial continues this morning.
