Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 16, 2015 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
Murder accused, Clive Knights, is facing a Judge and Jury for the May 2012 killing of Bert Whyte.
Whyte, a former executive at Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life (GTM) Insurance Company was murdered, on May 14, 2012.
The incident is said to have occurred in the vicinity of Main Street, Georgetown. According to earlier reports Whyte and Knights, who were said to be friends, were in the vicinity of Main Street, when they ended up in a heated argument that turned into a scuffle.
The accused reportedly stabbed Whyte several times before running away.
Whyte, who is said to have close ties to the acting fraternity and the West Demerara Lions Club, fell a few yards from where the incident occurred, in front of a popular night spot. He was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Knights was subsequently arrested and charged for the murder. The accused is facing Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member mixed jury, at the High Court in Georgetown. He is being represented by Attorney-at-Law, Kuonyo Thompson.
According to State Prosecutor, Judith Gildharie-Mursalin, on May 14, 2012, the Insurance Executive, 44, a resident of lot 79, Phoenix Park, West Bank Demerara, dropped his niece, Rayshawn, off at school before leaving for work.
Later that evening, about 19:45 hours, the Prosecutor said that Whyte’s brother received a telephone
call from a friend. As a result, he went to the Accident and Emergency, (A&E) Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC).
Bert Whyte was found lying motionless on the bed. He appeared to be dead. There were two puncture wounds to his chest and apparent blood stains on his clothing.
Prosecutor Mursalin said that the police later launched an investigation into the death of Bert Whyte, and issued a wanted bulletin for the accused.
Searches began also for Whyte‘s car, which was missing. The vehicle was tracked down and found in Stanleytown, Berbice. The car with licence plate number PKK, 6586 appeared to be locked and abandoned.
The car, Mursalin said, had number plates PJJ 7701 while PKK 6586 was marked on the mirrors, windows and lights.
The accused was later arrested at a roadblock along the Soesdyke Linden, Highway. According to the Prosecutor, police related that at the roadblock, the accused gave his name as Troy David.
The first witness in the trial was Jacqueline Yusuf; Company Secretary to the Board of Directors at GTM.
She related to date, that the victim was an Assistant Company Secretary at GTM. Yusuf said that she last saw him on May 14, 2012 around 15:45 hours, when she was leaving work.
The victim’s brother, Steve Whyte, who is currently overseas, also testified yesterday. He provided his evidence via audio video link, (Skype) from the Guyana consulate in New York, city.
He told the court that on the day of the incident, he received a telephone call from a friend. As a result of what his friend related to him, the witness said he went to GPHC. At the hospital, the man said that he found his brother motionless at the (A&E) department; he had two punctured wounds to his chest and blood was present on his clothing and in his nostrils.
The man told the court that he also identified his brother’s body to the GPHC Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh before it was cremated on May 24, 2012, at the Ruimzeight Foreshore, West Coast Demerara.
Meanwhile, in her evidence, the victim’s 13-year-old niece related that there was man in her uncle’s car on the day, he was allegedly killed.
The teenager said that around 15:15 hours on the day of the incident, her uncle had picked her up from school.
The teenager recalled that when she jumped into the back seat of her uncle’s car, there was a man seated in the front passenger seat.
The girl recalled that her uncle had warned her not to forget, mind her manners. At this time, she said that she told the stranger “Good afternoon.” She said that the man turned and looked at her before returning the greeting.
The witness told the court that her uncle dropped her off at the Georgetown Stelling since she was heading across the river to their residence. She said that was the last time she saw him alive.
On May 16, the teen said that she went to the Brickdam Police Station, where she was shown a photo album by police investigators. She recalled that she picked Knight’s photograph from among more than 300 pictures, because his was the face she will never forget.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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