Odel Roberts was yesterday afternoon acquitted of the 2015 murder of Sophia businessman Shawn Anys who police had said was shot and killed by bandits.
After about two hours of deliberations, a 12-memebr jury returned its unanimous verdict acquitting Roberts.
Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry who presided over the trial informed the former accused who attended court virtually from the Lusignan Prison that he had been found not guilty.
Roberts, however, remains behind bars as he is currently serving a sentence for an unrelated offence.
At his arraignment, Roberts had pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on May 1st, 2015, at ‘D’ Field, Sophia, he along with others murdered Anys during a robbery.
During the trial, the court had heard that Roberts’ girlfriend at the time told investigators that he had related to her being involved in the robbery at Anys’ home, but said that it was his accomplice who had done the shooting.
In his testimony, Detective Inspector Suraj Singh had said that he held a confrontation with the accused and his then-girlfriend Ayanna Williams who related a story at the conclusion of which the accused just stared at her.
According to Singh, after Williams was escorted out of the room, it was then that Roberts uttered words to the effect, “I did call her (Ayanna) and tell her that me and meh partner went pun the wuk but is he shoot the man.”
Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh had testified that Anys died from multiple gunshot injuries.
The court had heard from the autopsy report that the man was shot once in the head, and twice in his chest.
Roberts was represented by defence attorney Damian Da Silva while the state’s case was presented by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken.
