A Coroner’s Inquest into the fatal shooting of suspected robbers Paul Bascom and Alberto Grant yesterday found that police should not face charges for the men’s deaths.
Bascom and Grant were shot dead by police on December 7, 2013, at Golden Grove, in the yard of a businessman, who was said to be their intended target.
Police had stated that acting on information, officers went on a stakeout at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara and as the men were about to rob the businessman, there was an exchange of gunfire. As a result, Bascom and Grant sustained gunshot wounds to their faces. Police had said that a .38 snub-nose revolver with two live rounds and two spent shells, along with a 9 mm round and two 7.62 x 39mm rounds were recovered.
After the testimony of a final witness, the policemen involved in the shooting waived the opportunity to lead a defence and Coroner Alex Moore then gave the jury time to deliberate and arrive at a unanimous decision based on the evidence presented in court.
It took less than 10 minutes for the jurors to arrive at the decision that there was not enough evidence to press criminal charges.
Coroner Moore echoed the jurors’ decision, while stating that most of the evidence came after the fact. He added that the only witness that was at the scene was murder accused Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours,’ who contradicted himself on several occasions. He added that based on Wayne’s demeanour, it was clear that he had a personal vendetta against Sergeant Leon Lindo and wanted to get back at him.
Lindo and four other policemen had been accused by Wayne of murdering the men.
Yesterday’s hearing had seen the testimony of Yaffa Dookram, who was living at the 756 Section C Block Y Golden Grove home which was the supposed target.
Dookram told the court that she resided in the home with her husband, who owns a trucking service in Diamond, and her three children.
The court heard that on December 7, policemen went to her home and told her that persons were coming to rob her.
She added that immediately after hearing this, she left her home with her children, since she was pregnant and her husband was in the interior. She went to her father-in-law’s home in Diamond.
Around 10.30 pm the same day, she said, she heard what she thought were squibs but later learned were gunshots. She added that when she went back home the next day, the house and vehicles that were in the yard had bullet holes. By this time, her husband had returned home and was at the premises.
Under cross-examination by Lindo, Dookram stated that he (Lindo) had visited her home on several occasions informing her of possible robberies and just like on the day of the shooting she would leave with the children. It was also highlighted that on the day of the shooting Lindo and other officers were granted permission to enter Dookram’s yard to secure themselves from the alleged bandits.
During questioning by the foreman of the jury, the court heard that when the witness heard the sounds of squibs, which she later learned to be gunfire, it was constant.
