The depositions of two absent witnesses were read into evidence in the trial of Leon Duncan, who is accused of murdering Imtiaz Roopnarine at the Cool Square Hotel in Georgetown.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry who is presiding over the trial, granted the prosecution’s request on Wednesday to have the depositions read into evidence as the two witnesses cannot be located to testify.
Police and other civilian witnesses had testified of being unable to locate Linden Shirley and Tiana Cumberbatch, who were supposed to been the prosecution’s final two witnesses to have taken the stand.
As a result, lead prosecutor Stacy Goodings had made an application to have their depositions read into evidence, which was done on Wednesday by Magistrate Fabayo Azore, who had presided over the preliminary inquiry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
After this was done, the prosecution closed its case.
The trial continues this morning at 10, when both the defence and prosecution are scheduled to present closing
arguments to the jury.
Duncan, called ‘Leon James’ and ‘Whistle,’ is accused of murdering Roopnarine in the course or furtherance of a
robbery on January 24, 2013, at the Cool Square Hotel, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
He has denied the charge.
The court has so far heard that Shirley was the security guard on duty at the hotel at the time of the murder.
Meanwhile, police witnesses had testified that Cumberbatch had told investigators that Duncan had spent the night before the murder with her at the hotel and that when she left the hotel on the morning of the murder, the accused was still there.
The state’s case is being led by Goodings, in association with prosecutors Orinthia Schmidt and Tuanna Hardy. Meanwhile, Duncan is being represented by attorney Mark Waldron.
