Akeem Morris and Roy Sandiford are currently on trial in the High Court in Demerara before Justice Navindra Singh for the 2020 murder of Troy Ramalho, a Bourda Market vendor, during an alleged robbery.
The charge against Morris and Sandiford alleges that on August 15, 2020, at Robb Street, Bourda, Georgetown, in the course or furtherance of a robbery, they murdered Ramalho.
Several police officers have already testified regarding the identification parade process conducted during the investigation.
Defence attorneys Kiswana Jefford and Dexter Todd cross-examined witnesses vigorously, focusing on the identification procedures and the video evidence presented in court.
One police witness testified that he provided blue shirts to all participants in the identification parade and called a witness, a cousin of the deceased, to identify the suspects. The police witness admitted to introducing new information during his testimony, which prompted Jefford to question his motives for doing so. The officer acknowledged that he understood the significance of adding new details while under oath.
Another police witness confirmed the use of blue shirts for all participants in the identification parade, corroborating the earlier testimony.
The court also reviewed video evidence of the incident with defence attorneys questioning the clarity of the footage, noting that it did not clearly depict the accused men. The police witness who presented the video admitted that the software used in 2018 to enhance video footage was standard at the time but did not improve the resolution significantly.
The witness also took the stand. He recounted the events leading up to the fatal shooting, stating that Ramalho, who was often seen wearing jewellery, was socialising on Robb Street when three men approached. According to the witness, Sandiford brandished a firearm and threatened Ramalho. When Ramalho attempted to flee, he was shot and killed.
Ramalho, 45, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest while reportedly resisting a robbery. Witnesses at the scene reported that the gunman fired a single shot, causing Ramalho to collapse. The perpetrators then stripped the victim of his jewellery before fleeing. Ramalho was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The prosecution team, led by attorneys Christopher Belfield and Muntaz Ali, are presenting evidence to establish the involvement of Morris and Sandiford in the robbery-turned-homicide.
The matter was adjourned to the following week.
