A police detective yesterday testified that he informed Constable John Holder, who is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in the case against Maryann Daby, to ensure that his statement corroborated that of the rank who has accused the woman of attempted murder.
Holder is currently on trial before acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on a charge which alleges that between August 10th, 2018 and October 2nd, 2018 at Georgetown, he attempted to pervert the course of justice by deviating from his statement in the case of the police versus Maryann Daby.
Daby is currently charged with the attempted murder of Constable 24785 Christopher Kissoon.
When Holder’s trial continued yesterday, Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt called Detective Superintendent of Police Gary McAllister, who is stationed at Brickdam Police Station, to testify.
In his testimony, McAllister stated that having perused the statements of Kissoon and Holder, he observed certain inconsistences. He noted that having realised that both men were together on the night of the incident, he called Holder and told him that the statements needed to correlate with each other.
McAllister added that at no time did he tell Holder to omit or alter his statement nor did Holder, at any time, tell him that what Kissoon was saying was false.
Under cross-examination by attorney Stephen Roberts, McAllister was asked what he expected when he said their statements should be in sync. McAllister said that he expected that Holder and Kissoon would sit together and ensure that their statements were saying the same thing.
McAllister, however, later agreed with the attorney that both men should have written what they saw.
He also maintained throughout the cross-examination that he did not expect Holder to change his statement but added that it should corroborate Kissoon’s statement.
The court then heard from Inspector Suraj Singh, who is currently stationed at the Ruimveldt Police Station and is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He noted that during that month of August 2018, he was stationed at the CID Headquarters and attached to the Major Crimes Unit.
Singh testified that on August 12th, 2018, Constable Holder went to the office and stated that the statement he provided in relation to the police versus Daby was not true and he went on to state which part was not true. Singh stated that he asked Holder why he was only then revealing that information and Holder responded by telling him that he’s a Christian and that he had to give evidence and did not want to lie under oath.
The court heard that having heard from Holder, Singh made a call to the then Crime Chief, Paul Williams, and as a result of the call told Holder to submit a statement as to what was said to him (Singh).
Singh stated that later that day he received two statements, one dated August 10th, 2018 and a further statement dated August 12th, 2018.
Singh was then subjected to cross-examination by attorney Roberts.
The court then heard from Inspector Prem Narine, who is currently stationed at the La Grange Police Station, who gave further testimony as it related to video evidence.
The matter was then adjourned until July 8th.
Holder was charged after an investigation was ordered by Magistrate Leron Daly, who is presiding over the Preliminary Inquiry into the charge against Daby.
Magistrate Daly ordered the investigation after Holder, during his cross-examination by Daby’s attorney Mark Waldron, made allegations against a police rank. The magistrate had also ordered that the very rank be summoned but he is yet to appear before the court.
On May 2nd Magistrate Daly had stopped the testimony of McAllister after there was a variation in his testimony. He later completed his evidence.
