Antonio Jaisingh yesterday walked out the High Court a free man after a jury found him not guilty of the fatal stabbing of fisherman Randy Joseph at Sarah Johanna in 2010.
After deliberating for about two hours, the jury returned its unanimous verdicts, acquitting Jaisingh on both the capital charge and the lesser count of manslaughter.
The allegation against the former accused was that between November 26 and November 27, 2010, at Sarah Johanna, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Joseph.
After the verdicts were read, Justice Navindra Singh told the visibly-relieved Jaisingh that the jury had found him not guilty and, therefore, he was discharged. “You are free to go. Don’t get into any trouble and good luck,” the trial judge added.
Representing the former-accused was defence attorney Latchmie Rahamat, while the state’s case was presented by prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy, who called nine witnesses to the stand.
Meanwhile, state witness Dameon Ramgulam is currently under investigation for perjury, after admitting that he had lied to the court under oath while testifying during the trial.
Ramgulam, who was listed as an eyewitness, had told the court that he had seen Jaisingh push Joseph on the day in question, who subsequently fell and was bleeding. This witness however, recanted his story, admitting that he lied.
According to him, he had been untruthful about his account of the incident because he was beaten by the police.
The former-accused, in his caution statement, had said that he was at a bar drinking and playing pools when an argument ensued between himself and Joseph.
According to the statement, Jaisingh said that Joseph advanced towards him with a knife and chucked him. The statement went on to detail, that the former accused, in turn managed to get the knife from Joseph, who was stabbed in the process.
