The trial of Orin Jerrick, who is accused of murdering bus driver Gavin Fiffee at the Plaisance bus park in 2014, commenced yesterday before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
The allegation against Jerrick is that on July 31, 2014 at the corner of Avenue of the Republic and Regent Street in Georgetown, he murdered Fiffee.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In her opening address, State Prosecutor Narissa Leander said that on the day in question, Jerrick and Fiffee had an argument, during which the accused stabbed Fiffee to his chest. She said the injured Fiffee was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he subsequently died.
Testifying yesterday, the dead man’s mother, Sharon Payne, recalled identifying her son’s body to Dr Nehaul Singh
who, Inspector of Police Philip Bowman said, later performed a post-mortem examination (PME).
In his testimony, Bowman said he was present when the PME was performed and later uplifted from Dr Singh, the certificate containing his findings with the cause of death of the deceased. The certificate was tendered and admitted into evidence.
Bowman recalled being on duty at the Brickdam Police Station on August 2, 2014 where he said he arrested the accused who was taken to the station by his then attorney, Pamela De Santos.
He said that in the presence of De Santos, Jerrick handed him a typewritten statement, which he said was his statement in relation to the matter.
Bowman told the court that after putting the murder allegation to the accused, he explained to him that he was not obliged to say anything, but that whatever he said may be put into writing and given in evidence.
Bowman said the accused informed him that he would be relying on the statement he had given.
Asked about Jerrick’s physical appearance when he was arrested, Bowman told the prosecutor he observed what appeared to be bruises and wounds above the right eye, top lip, left elbow, and between his index finger and thumb on the left hand.
Asked under cross-examination by defence attorney Nigel Hughes if he understood Jerrick to be saying in his typewritten statement that he was defending himself, Bowman answered in the affirmative.
Counsel then asked Bowman, who said he was in charge of the investigation, whether he had investigated the possibility of Jerrick’s wounds being defensive; to which he responded no.
Further questioned on this issue, the witness told Hughes that nothing prevented him from following that line of investigation.
Asked if he had information during the investigation that Fiffee had a cutlass; and that from Jerrick’s statement Jerrick was unarmed, Bowman answered in the affirmative.
When asked, he told counsel that after observing the wounds on the accused, he took him to the Georgetown Hospital where he was treated and issued with a medical certificate. This certificate was tendered and admitted into evidence.
Asked if there was independent evidence, such as the medical certificate which supported what Jerrick had said in his statement, the police inspector said yes.
Also testifying at yesterday’s hearing was Inspector of Police Deborah Small who said she conducted an identification (ID) parade on August 4, 2014 on which Jerrick was placed, and he was pointed out as the suspect, by one of two women.
Asked under cross-examination by attorney Peter Hugh, who is also representing Jerrick, whether as the officer-in-charge of the parade it was her duty to ensure that it was conducted fairly, Small said yes.
Quizzed as to whether the other persons on the parade also wore white jerseys like his client, Small said no, but could not provide a reason as to why all the persons on the parade did not have on the same colour shirt.
Asked if they were all of the same height, Small said they were all “about five feet, two inches tall.” Counsel then pointed out to her that her use of the word “about,” seems to suggest that the persons on the parade were not all of the same height; and that some may have been shorter or even taller.
Asked if like his client the other persons on the parade also had wounds, Small firmly pointed out that at the time she conducted the parade, she saw no injuries on the exposed parts of Jerrick’s body.
A total of 12 witnesses are expected to testify in the matter.
The state’s case is being led by Leander in association with prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Michael Shahoud. Meanwhile, the accused is represented by Hughes and Hugh, in association with attorney Savannah Barnwell.
The trial continues this morning at 9.
