Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan is expected to rule next week on the admissibility of a caution statement allegedly taken from Darrol Compton, who is charged alongside Anand Narine with the murder of Babita Sarjou.
The announcement was made by the Chief Magistrate at the continuation of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against the defendants yesterday.
At the closure of the voir dire (trial within a trial) to determine the admissibility of the caution statement, several police witnesses testified and were later cross-examined by attorney Nigel Hughes.
Next Thursday, November 17, is set for the ruling by the Chief Magistrate.
Subsequent to the ruling, it is expected that the voir dire on the admissibility of the caution statement purportedly taken from Narine would continue and the prosecution’s final witness is due to testify.
On the eve of Diwali, November 4, 2010, Sarjou had left her Timehri home, having informed her family that after work she was going to view the annual motorcade with her estranged husband, Narine, and their then four-year-old son. She had promised she would be back home at around 9 that night. She was never seen or heard from again.
Narine had faced intense scrutiny over her disappearance as there was a history of domestic violence in the relationship. The husband was also previously charged with the offence of exposing pictures of Sarjou to the public with a view to corrupting public morals after photographs in which the woman appeared half-naked were displayed around her place of employment in 2010.
