Superintendent of Police Linden Lord yesterday recounted conducting identification parades at which Dennis Williams and Mark Royden Williams were identified as two of the persons involved in the massacre of 12 men at Bartica in 2008.
Lord was at the time testifying at the trial of Dennis Williams, called ‘Anaconda,’ Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’ and Roger Simon, called ‘Goat Man, who have been indicted for the murders.
The charge against the three men, who have pleaded not guilty, is that on February 17, 2008, they murdered Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir and Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne, Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas, and Baldeo Singh.
Lord, a Detective Inspector in 2008, recalled being on duty at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, on June 18, when he received certain information from the then Crime Chief.
Acting on the information, Lord said, he put the allegation to Mark Royden Williams and conducted an ID parade, where the accused was placed among 7 other men. He then caused the witness to view the parade, and after about 16 seconds, Mark Royden Williams was pointed out as one of the persons involved in the killings, the court heard.
Lord said that based on instructions, he conducted another parade on November 9, 2008, where Dennis Williams was placed, and he was identified by the same witness, after about 16 seconds also, as being one of the persons involved in the massacre.
Lord told the court, that after telling Mark Royden Williams that he had been picked out on the parade, he replied, ‘Officer, I neva went to Bartica.’ And when the same information was given to Dennis Williams, he responded, ‘Officer, me ain’t got nothing to say.’
Lord said that at no time did he assist the witness in identifying the two accused.
Also testifying yesterday, was Detective Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo, who recounted being on duty at the CID, Eve Leary, in 2008, on the three different occasions that the allegation was put to each accused.
Sarrabo said that after being told of the allegation, by Detective Inspector Singh, Simon responded, ‘Boss man, I went in the interior, wuking. I ain’t know nothing.’
Meanwhile, the court heard that after Singh put the allegation to Mark Royden Williams, he said in response, ‘Is saddest wuk I had to go.’
Sarrabo said that after the men’s responses, Singh enquired from them whether they wished to give written statements, but they both refused.
The court heard from the Detective Sergeant, that after being told of the allegation, Dennis Williams said, ‘I been Bartica, but me ain’t kill nobody.’
Sarrabo said that it was only Dennis who gave a written statement, which he asked Superintendent of Police Trevor Reid to write as he dictated.
Reid had previously testified that Dennis Williams related to him that he had witnessed some of the 12 men being killed, but that he did not kill anyone.
That caution statement was tendered and admitted into evidence.
The trial continues on Monday morning, before Justice Roxane George at the High Court in Georgetown.
The State’s case is being presented by Prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Stacy Goodings.
Attorneys Peter Hugh, Roger Yearwood, and Saphier Hussain; are representing Simon, and Mark Williams and Dennis Williams respectively.
