Hansel Andre Lewis, alias ‘Smiley,’ of John Lewis Street, Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam, Berbice, was found guilty yesterday of attempted murder over the wounding of Chris Burrowes, called ‘Boonee’, during the early hours of New Year’s Day 2013.
The unanimous verdict was returned about two hours after the jury was sent to deliberate at the Berbice Assizes.
Sentencing has been postponed as presiding Judge Brassington Reynolds has ordered a probation report on the background of the convict who was deported over eight years ago from the United States of America.
The 38-year-old Lewis has been remanded to prison and is expected to return to court on June 28, for the probation report, plea of mitigation and sentencing.
The case for the prosecution, presented by State Counsel Stacy Goodman, was based on the story of the victim, Burrowes. During the morning of New Year’s Day 2013, Burrowes had left the party, as birds were chirping in the vicinity of Rainbow Bar, at Republic Road and Charles Place in New Amsterdam.
He crossed Republic Road and stood at the nearby intersection of what is locally referred to as Post Office Street where he urinated. It was while he was zipping his pants that he saw Lewis who removed a two-inch, plastic-handled knife, from his left-side pocket and stabbed him on the right side of his neck. The assailant calmly walked away. Burrowes collapsed a short distance away. He was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He was discharged 18 days later.
Burrowes had told the court that he was drinking Banko wine while he was at the night spot, and Lewis, who was next to him, was smoking a high-scented substance. As a result, he [Burrowes] had asked him to go somewhere else to smoke. Lewis, he said, had turned and looked at him in a funny manner, and he [Burrowes] interpreted it to mean, ‘I like talk’.
In his evidence-in-chief, Anthony Ignatius Cadore, operator of Rainbow Bar, recalled that it was about 06:45hrs that he, along with the owner of Paragon Sound system were exiting the business place, to conclude their financial business, when he saw ‘Smiley’ and ‘Boonie’ in a ‘square up’ position outside the entity. They were shouted upon but the witness then turned in the opposite direction to conclude his financial transaction.
Moments later, Burrowes was seen holding his neck but Lewis was not around.
The medical expert, Dr Ally, had written her medical certificate in April 2013 as she was unaware of the 48 hours requirement to prepare the document. However, the doctor, who has been registered locally since 2009, recalled seeing the victim, who had a wound measuring seven centimetres in length with a depth of six centimetres.
She said the open injury was caused by cutting or tearing and also caused damage to the trachea and the oesophagus. At the time of her examination, the victim was not in shock, but was in a semi-conscious state. The injury, she said, resulted in temporary disability and a permanent scar.
Lewis is represented by attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar.
