Businessman Dereck Jaisingh now faces a retrial after a jury was unable to arrive at a verdict in the case against him for allegedly attempting to murder two men in 2014.
After more than six hours of deliberations, the 12-member jury announced that it could not break the 9 to 3 deadlock, even if additional time had been given for further deliberations.
In the circumstances, Justice Sandil Kissoon informed the accused that he would remain on bail and would also be informed when his new trial will commence.
Jaisingh, a miner and the proprietor of the Savannah Restaurant at Land of Canaan, was charged in November, 2014, with the attempted murder of Welton Edwards and his nephew Sherwin Hamilton.
The charge against the licensed firearm holder stated that he discharged a loaded firearm at Edwards with intent to murder him. It was also alleged that on the same day, he discharged a loaded firearm at Hamilton, also with the intention of murdering him.
The state’s case, presented by Prosecutors Lisa Cave and Orinthia Schmidt, was that the complainants were at their Old Road, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara residence when they received information that one of their relatives was at the Public Road involved in an argument.
As a result, they went to the scene to speak with Jaisingh, who subsequently started to shoot at them.
Edwards was shot twice to his back, while Hamilton was shot six times to his lower body, including his left foot.
Jaisingh’s defence has been that he felt that he was about to be robbed and used his weapon as a means of defending himself.
The complainants had said, however, that it was impossible for them to be mistaken to be bandits since they were well known to the businessman.
The accused was represented by attorney Nigel Hughes.
The trial was heard at the Georgetown High Court.
