Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 17, 2008 News
Accused said he was victim
A Police witness in the Herstelling acid attack yesterday testified that, although one of the accused complained about being burnt, he saw no marks consistent with the claim.
Komal Persaud and his mother, Renee Persaud, of Third Street, Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, are charged with attempting to murder Navin Seepersaud, or with the alternative count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Seepersaud, of Section ‘C,’ Block ‘Y,’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, was badly scarred on the face, torso, thighs and legs on November 25, 2004. He also sustained injury to the eyes.
The Persauds are appearing before Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire and a 12-man jury at the High Court.
Led in evidence by State Prosecutor Kara Duff-Yehudah, Constable Jermaine Jordan said that he checked the exposed parts of Persaud’s body but saw nothing.
Jordan stated that he had witnessed a caution statement taken from Komal Persaud, who said he was attacked.
The policeman said Persaud claimed that he was in his yard when Seepersaud rushed in with a cutlass.
Persaud said Seepersaud was also armed with a glass bottle.
The accused, who said he was armed with a cue stick, said he struck the bottle from Seepersaud’s arm.
He added that he was burnt in the process.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Vic Puran, Jordan said he did not ask Persaud to point out the spot on his body where he was burnt.
He stated that, although he found no burns on Persaud, he did not dismiss the claim as false since he is not trained in medicine.
Jordan noted that he had gone to the scene in the company of the investigating rank to verify Persaud’s account.
The witness recalled seeing a large, discoloured spot in the concrete on the outer side of the gate.
Jordan told the court that there were also smaller spots of discolouration leading up to the gate.
He could not say if the concrete was sloped towards the yard or if there was liquid running down from the discoloured spot.
According to Jordan, he did see tiny pieces of a shiny object in the yard appearing to be a broken bottle.
At a previous hearing, Davendra Looknauth said that he was in Seepersaud’s company when the incident occurred.
Looknauth stated that Seepersaud stopped to speak to a man but he continued walking ahead.
He recalled that, while in the vicinity of Persaud’s house, Renee Persaud said, “Look, Sharma one-eye son passing”.
The witness said he reprimanded the woman for addressing him in such a manner on the street, but she began cursing him.
Looknauth explained that although he has both eyes, he is blind in one eye and so he knew the woman was referring to him.
He noted that he also took the comment personally, since the woman referred to his mother in the statement.
He said that Komal Persaud then came up to him and demanded to know why he was cursing the woman.
Looknauth recalled that Persaud then struck him with an iron bar, causing him to crumple to the ground.
The witness stated that he got up and attempted to flee but fell unconscious on the roadway.
Seepersaud said that he had stopped at the corner of the street to urinate when he looked up and saw Davendra on the ground.
According to him, Persaud, who had an object in his hand, and his brother-in-law, Edward Veersammy, who was armed with a cutlass, were standing over Davendra.
Seepersaud noted that when Persaud and Veersammy saw him, they ran into the yard and closed the gate.
He said he approached the gate to enquire about the problem, but was met with a rude retort from Persaud.
At that moment, Seepersaud said, Renee Persaud handed a yellow container to her son and said, “Hold, do what yuh gat fuh do”.
“It was a quick reaction…I turned around and saw her passing the container and he just threw the content on me,” Seepersaud recounted. Further hearing continues today.
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