Rochine Maison was acquitted on Monday August 6 by Justice Zamila Ali-Seepaul, of the 2021 murder of Keno Griffith, also known as ‘Tuckie’ at McKenzie, Linden.
Rochine Maison was accused of fatally wounding Keno Griffith, on July 26, 2021, at Old Kara Kara, McKenzie, Linden. The prosecution claimed that Maison, armed with a cutlass, attacked Griffith, leading to his death. The charge was initially attempted murder, but was upgraded to murder following Griffith’s passing.
The incident reportedly began when the mother of Griffith’s child accused Maison of inappropriately touching her breast. In response, she spat in Maison’s face, sparking an argument. During the confrontation, Maison allegedly soaked her with a bucket of water prompting Griffith, the deceased, to run a short distance to his home and return with a cutlass.
Four prosecution witnesses testified that they saw Maison wielding a cutlass and attacking Griffith, who eventually fell to the ground. They claimed that Maison continued to strike Griffith while he lay defenseless. However, during cross-examination, defence attorney, Domnick Bess, highlighted discrepancies in their testimonies, arguing that the evidence was contradictory and insufficient to support a murder conviction.
Bess contended that the key witnesses’ accounts were inconsistent and failed to clearly establish how Griffith sustained his injuries. After the judge’s summing up and a brief deliberation, the jury unanimously found Maison not guilty of murder, resulting in his acquittal.
