Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 07, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
Prosecution main witness Clebert Reece faced a series of questions from Defence Attorney, Roger Yearwood, yesterday, shortly after he had concluded his evidence in-chief in the 2008 Bartica Massacre trial.
The trial is ongoing before Justice Roxanne George and a mixed 12 -member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
Thirty-nine year-old Reece called “Chi Chi” had pleaded guilty to killing 12 persons at Bartica, and on November 18, last, was sentenced to 420 years – 35 years on each of 12 counts of manslaughter. Reece was originally charged with 12 counts of murder.
Reece was charged along with Mark Royden Williams called Durant and Smallie; Dennis Williams called Anaconda; and Roger Anthony Simon, called Goat Man. The other three men are currently on trial at the High Court for the said killings.
Reece was part of a gang of gunmen that attacked the Bartica Police Station, killing three policemen and freeing prisoners. They then took the vehicle assigned to the police station and went on a rampage, terrorising the community and murdering nine others.
Reece’s admittance to killing twelve people including three policemen, during an hour-long strafing on February 17, 2008, earned him the aforementioned jail time. He is currently serving time but was called as a witness by the Prosecution.
In his evidence in chief on Thursday, the accused had detailed being arrested for the crime which notorious criminal Rondell ‘Fine man’ Rawlins is said to have organized.
Reece told the court that he went with the men after he was invited to go on a trip by his cousin Michael Caesar.
Caesar is also serving time for the Bartica murders. He was sentenced to 60 years last month for the 12 killings after he also pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
In his evidence, Reece further detailed to the court that he helped to transport the gun-toting gang via boat to Bartica, where they committed the robberies and murdered the twelve persons in cold blood.
The witness claimed to have been held at gunpoint at one point during the operation.
He said too that he even made deliberate attempts to leave traces behind for the police to find it. He recalled that the men collected sizeable booty during the job, which they later split – giving each gang member a portion.
Grilled about the truthfulness and accuracy of his testimony, Reece maintained that he gave the police information on the whereabouts of his fellow gang members after he was arrested and in prison for the crime.
Based on a line of questioning by attorney Yearwood, Reece told the court that he was detained twice and questioned in relation to the incident.
He said too that during his initial arrest he spent thirteen days at the Alberttown Police Station. While in custody, he said that he attended seven Identification (ID) parades, but was later released on $100,000 bail.
The witness recalled that within the space of three days of his release, he was rearrested. Reece told the court that he only learnt that he was charged with the murder of 12 persons when he went to Court and the indictment was read to him.
He said that he had been a few months in prison awaiting trial, when he tipped off the police about the location of his gang members.
Reece denied the suggestion that he testified against his former co- accused with the hopes that charges against him would be withdrawn. He is expected to return to the stand on Monday when the trial resumes.
State Prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Stacy Goodings are expected to call some 19 more witnesses to stand. In their opening address to the court, the Prosecutors detailed that on the night of Sunday, February 17, 2008, a number of gunmen attacked the mining community of Bartica, Essequibo, killing twelve residents – Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks and Constable Ron Osborne; Edwin Gilkes, Abdool Yassin Jr, Deonarine Singh, Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Baldeo Singh, Ashraf Khan, Irving Ferreira and Dexter Adrian
After murdering the police officers, the gang stole cash, arms, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station. Using the stolen police vehicle, they drove through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians. They proceeded to CBR Mining, where they stole arms and ammunition, and removed two safes containing cash and gold. After their one-hour rampage, the gunmen departed from Bartica by boat.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews delivered a stellar all-round performance to lead her team to a commanding 113-run victory over Pakistan Women in the first One Day...Kaieteur News – For years, the disciples of Bharrat Jagdeo have woven a narrative of economic success during his tenure... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]