The trial of Edward Skeete and Nabadingi Gobin, for the murder of Ryan Clementson who was shot near the Turning Point Snackette in Tucville on the night of July 14, 2015, commenced yesterday morning before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
The indictment against the jointly-charged duo, is that they murdered Clementson on July 24, 2015.
In her opening address, Prosecutor Tiffaini Lyken said that while Clementson was shot on July 14, he succumbed to his injuries ten days later at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
She said that police investigations subsequently led to Skeete, also known as “Pretty Boy,” and Nabadingi Gobin called “Dangles,” being arrested and charged.
Testifying yesterday was Lance Corporal Colwyn Major who recalled visiting the scene on the evening of July 14, some ten minutes after nine, where a large crowd had gathered.
He said upon arrival, he realized that someone, making a groaning sound, had been partially submerged in a trench under a nearby bridge.
The witness told the court that with the help of public-spirited citizens, he assisted the person out, whom he observed had a suspected gunshot wound to the thigh. That person he said, later provided his name as Ryan Clementson.
Major said that on the journey to the hospital where he and other ranks accompanied Clementson, he questioned the injured man about who had shot him and he mentioned a name and thereafter related “something,” as a result of which he (Major), contacted a person by the name of Ayodella Solomon.
According to the Lance Corporal, he saw Solomon who was also at the hospital that night and he too related “something” to him. The policeman said he observed what appeared to be a gunshot wound on Solomon’s right shoulder.
Also testifying was Sergeant Akeem Lewis, who also said that he had questioned Clementson regarding who had shot him.
Lewis told the court that he had visited the now dead man while he was still a patient of the hospital, and during an interview, he, (Clementson), when asked, mentioned the names and aliases of three persons whom he said inflicted the injuries on him.
On the witness stand yesterday too, was Crime Scene Examiner, Detective Corporal Carlson Rockliffe, who recalled visiting the scene about 22:30 hours, just after the shooting.
From there, he said, he retrieved one suspected spent shell and two suspected live rounds, all of which he later submitted to the crime lab for analysis.
Retired Inspector of Police and Ballistics Expert, Eon Jackson, who also testified at yesterday’s hearing, recalled analyzing the spent shell and ammunition which he said were handed over to him by Rockliffe.
The items examined by Jackson, were tendered and admitted as exhibits in the trial.
When asked by Gobin’s attorney Mark Waldron, whether the items he submitted to Jackson for analysis had been tested for fingerprints, the crime scene examiner answered in the negative.
The trial continues next Tuesday at 9am when the court will embark upon a voir dire.
Skeete is being represented by attorney Nigel Hughes.
The state’s case is being led by Prosecutor Narissa Leander, in association with Lyken and Abigail Gibbs.
