Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours,’ will have to face a second retrial after a jury was on Friday unable to arrive at a verdict in the case against him for the fatal 2014 shooting of Lusignan beautician Ashmini Harriram.
Following hours of deliberations, the jury foreman yesterday afternoon informed the court that the panel was unable to arrive at a verdict.
After five hours, they were deadlocked.
Trial judge Sandil Kissoon then declared a mistrial and informed a visibly-distressed Wayne that he continues to be on remand to await a new trial. The next would be Wayne’s third trial, the first two having both ended in hung juries. In the event of a third hung jury, Wayne would be freed of the charge.
The prosecution’s star witness, Melroy Doris, who had been charged along with Wayne and is currently service a five-year sentence after copping to a manslaughter charge, had told the court that it was Wayne who had fatally shot Harriram.
The prosecution’s case is that Wayne shot and killed Harriram, called ‘Monesha,’ at the Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, on the morning of July 10, 2014.
Wayne, a former self-professed police informant, had, however, submitted the theory that the capital charge may have been levelled against him because he had previously testified in a matter against a senior member of the police force.
Wayne’s story is also that prior to being charged along with Melroy Doris for Harriram’s murder, he did not know who Doris was.
The star witness had told the court on Monday, however, that it was Wayne who had shot and killed Harriram.
According to Doris, who at the time was a taxi driver, Wayne had hired him to be transported to Lusignan.
He had said that as he drove along the Railway Embankment, Wayne requested that he stop the vehicle, and after he did, Wayne exited and shot the young woman after which he re-entered the car and ordered him to drive.
Wayne was represented by defence attorney Nigel Hughes, while the state’s case was presented by Prosecutor Lisa Cave.
