Robbery/home invasion on Land Court judge…Reputed wife supports defendant’s alibi

May 04, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The reputed wife of Anthony David testified that her husband had no involvement in the robbery that was committed on Land Court Judge Nicola Pierre, on July 9, last, at her home in the gated community of Felicity, East Coast Demerara.

Anthony David

Yesterday, Shanella Lee provided the court with a detailed story of her husband’s whereabouts on the day the robbery occurred when the trial continued before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
Her story supported an alibi that David, the father of her child, had given when he was called on to lead his defence.
Lee told the court that David was at home with her and their then one-month-old child on July 8, 2015. The following day, she recalled that her husband accompanied her to a private city hospital where they would normally take their child to clinic.
The witness recounted that the defendant told her a story of him being framed for the crime by Head of Major Crimes Unit, Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Mitchell Caesar as a favour to another officer whose name she gave as Narine.
Lee added that David told her he was set up because he had refused to work as an informant for the ASP.
Under cross examination by Prosecutor Nigel Hughes, the witness was asked why she had failed to provide police with a statement of David’s whereabouts. In response, the woman told the court that she was unaware that she could have done so.
However, the witness disclosed that she had related her husband’s story to an attorney she had retained. She pointed out that she was having a difficult time finding a lawyer for the defendant since no one wanted to take his case.
Lee testified that she was eager to inform the Police Complaints Authority about the defendant’s case, but never got the opportunity to do so. Instead, Lee stated that she told her story to a popular media house, but an article was never published.
According to Lee, David was arrested a few days after the robbery happened.
After learning about his apprehension, the witness stated that she was very angry and later visited the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Lee testified that she was never informed by police that the defendant had committed the crime.
She added that she was unable to see her husband until he was charged and remanded to prison.
Lee stated that she informed the defendant’s employer, whom he had worked with for over a decade, about his arrest, but interestingly, she related that none of his workmates attended his court hearing.
When prosecutor Hughes suggested to Lee that she was making a desperate attempt to mislead the court, she replied in the     negative.
Attorney for David, Adrian Thompson declined to re-examine this witness and subsequently brought a close to his client’s case. Thereafter, the matter was adjourned until May 18, when the final defendant, Warren McKenzie will put forward his case to the court.
McKenzie is expected to call a witness in his defence.