Shakir Mohamed, who is on trial for the murder of Shewraney Doobay, yesterday stressed that he did not kill the woman and that her now dead nephew never told him that he wanted to kill his aunt.
Mohamed was at the time being cross-examined by state counsel Mercedes Thompson, after he opted to lead his defence in sworn testimony from the witness stand.
He is on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a 12-member jury for the murder of Doobay, called “Monica,” in the course or furtherance of a robbery on May 24, 2011.
Doobay, 58, was found dead in her Echilibar Villas, Campbellville home. A post-mortem examination revealed that she died as a result of eight wounds inflicted to her head.
Mohamed has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He had been jointly charged with Doobay’s nephew, Mark Singh, but his co-accused died in hospital on January 4, 2012.
The accused disagreed with the prosecution’s suggestion that Singh had told him that his aunt had given him money to pay her rates and taxes and he had planned to kill her.
Mohamed had testified that he knew Singh, who worked as a dispatcher at the same taxi service where he worked. He said he had transported Singh from the base in Kitty to his home in Plaisance, on a number of occasions.
When asked by the prosecution if he and Singh spoke on the journeys, the accused said no and added that he did not “mix business with pleasure.”
He said the drive was long and sometimes he would have to stop at a shop for Singh to purchase food.
This prompted the prosecutor to enquire from the accused whether he wanted the court to believe that on those “long drives” he and Singh never spoke.
Mohamed said the description of the drive being long applied only when he needed to stop for Singh to purchase food and he added that he was a “fast driver.” He contended further that the drive was not long because he dropped Singh off close to the midnight hour, by which time traffic lights were off and the road clear.
The prosecutor suggested to Mohamed that Singh did speak to him on one of those trips, about wanting to kill his aunt. He however vehemently denied the suggestion.
On Wednesday, Assistant Superinten-dent of Police Joel David, testified that Mohamed had told investigators that Doobay was killed by Singh.
David had read Mohamed’s caution statement, which was tendered and admitted into evidence. David said he had cautioned the accused before writing his statement, which he said was given freely and voluntarily.
According to the statement, read to the court by David, Mohamed said that about two weeks before the murder, Singh told him that his aunt had him paying her rates and taxes “and like that get into he and he plan fuh kill she.”
According to the statement, Mohamed said that while he and Singh were at Doobay’s house, “[Singh], took the hammer and “lash she one good set ah lash to…she head.” The woman screamed once, David read from the statement, and Singh lashed her once more and she fell on him [Mohamed], who then eased her down on the kitchen floor, at which point she was still moving.
The court further heard from Mohamed’s statement that Singh dealt the woman a final blow to the head with the hammer, after which she stopped moving.
The accused had testified on Thursday that after repeatedly asking officers for something to eat and drink after being taken into custody, he was “roughed-up” by a junior rank, who held him by the collar and shook him, before ordering him not to speak until told to do so.
When quizzed by the prosecutor, Mohamed reemphasized under cross-examination, that he only signed the caution statement because he was beaten and threatened by the police.
He had testified that at the Brickdam Police Station, David approached him with two pieces of paper and told him to sign the bottom. He said David told him, “We know that you are not the one who killed Mrs. Doobay, but by signing this paper, we will use you as a witness and you will go free.”
The man said he refused to sign the papers David had presented to him, as he hadn’t the opportunity to read them and neither were they read to him.
The accused said he later signed the document after being beaten by the police, who placed a black bag over his head. He said that from the scent emanating from the bag, “I knew it was some poisonous substance.”
He said he began panting for breath during the three to four minutes that the bag was over his head.
He said afterward, David asked him whether he was ready to sign the document, which he did out of “fear, hunger, anger, frustration and humiliation.”
The accused added yesterday that he also signed the document, because he was concerned about the health of his then two-year-old daughter and also his reputed wife, who is diabetic.
He said he was concerned, because police told him that they would have taken his daughter and wife to the station also.
The case continues on May 4.
Mohamed is represented by attorneys Jainarine Singh and Moti Singh.