Kelvin Chisholm was yesterday afternoon acquitted of the murder of labourer Nigel Lawson.
After about two hours of deliberations, the 12-member jury returned with unanimous verdicts, acquitting Chisholm on both the capital offence and the lesser charge of manslaughter at the High Court in Georgetown.
After the announcement of the verdicts, Justice Navindra Singh informed a visibly relieved Chisholm that he was free to go.
The judge told the former accused that he had already lost about four years of his life, but wished him “good luck.”
Chisholm was accused of murdering Lawson on the night of May 1st, 2014 on Quamina Street, Georgetown.
Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh had given the cause of death as perforation of the heart and lung, due to stab wounds to the chest.
The prosecution’s main witness, Rolin Sarrabo had said that he saw Chisholm motioning his hand towards the region of Lawson’s chest on the night he was killed.
He said that he did not see the fatal wound being inflicted by the accused, nor did he see any weapon, though immediately after the motioning of the man’s hand he saw Lawson holding his chest before collapsing.
The witness had recalled leaving his Quamina Street home about 8.20 am on the night in question to run an errand when he heard the two men whom he knew arguing on the street in front of his house.
He had told the court that during the argument, he heard Lawson exclaim, “Stop boring me, stop juking me,” as the accused motioned his hand back and forth towards the man’s chest about three times.
After the third hand movement, Sarrabo said he heard the deceased cry out, “ah boy, yuh bore meh.”
He said he then immediately got into his vehicle and pursued Chisholm, who by that time was fleeing the scene on his bicycle. After catching up with him a short distance away, Sarrabo said he confronted him about what he had seen.
According to the witness, the Chisholm then asked, “You see I stab the guy?” Sarrabo said it was at that point that he summoned the police to the scene.
Police Lance Corporal Quinn Sandy had previously testified that the accused had related to him that he had pierced Lawson with a knife during a scuffle because he had stolen from him.
Detective Inspector of Police Herbert Henry, who also testified at the trial, had recalled putting the allegation to the accused, who, in an oral statement, admitted to stabbing Lawson for stealing his cell phone and iPad.
The trial commenced on Tuesday morning at the High Court, where about 10 witnesses testified.
Representing Chisholm were attorneys Hewley Griffith and Compton Richardson.
The state’s case, meanwhile, was led by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken, in association with Narissa Leander and Abigail Gibbs.
