Recaptured prison escapee to face retrial for attempted murder

Nov 24, 2017 News

Attempted murder accused, Stafrei Alexander, is set to face a retrial, several weeks after he was convicted for the crime. Alexander is a recaptured prison escapee who has three pending murder charges before the court.

Accused: Stafrei Alexander

He was ordered to face a retrial after a decision was taken by the Court, yesterday. Justice Brassington Reynolds said the Court formed an opinion that the verdict handed down by the jury is one which it could not accept.
He said that a decision was taken to reduce the jury panel from 12 to 11 persons after it was discovered that one of the jurors was below the age of 18 years.
Justice Reynolds noted that because the panel was 11 and not 12 jurors, the Court could only accept a verdict in proportion 10-1 as a majority and 9-2 as was the verdict in this case.
Both Defence Counsel, Stanley Moore and the team of lawyers representing the State, agreed with the decision taken by the Court. Given the ruling of the Court, Alexander was remanded to prison to await his trial at another possible sitting of the assizes.
According to the charge, on March 23, 2015 in the county of Demerara, Alexander discharged a loaded firearm at Curtis Thom with intent to commit murder. Last month, the accused was found guilty of the offence after nine of the jurors arrived at a guilty verdict.
The State was represented by Attorneys-at-Law Lisa Cave, Shawnette Austin and Tiffini Lyken.
During the trial the State called eight witnesses, including Thom, several policemen and two doctors.
According to the prosecution, on the day in question Thom held a christening at his residence to welcome his baby daughter. When the event ended and the guests left in the wee hours of the following morning, Thom went to the back of the property to clean up and feed his dogs.
Moments later, Alexander walked past Thom and grumbled something which Thom did not hear.
But as Thom was entering his house in a backward position, he saw Alexander standing next to him holding a shine gun. Alexander shot Thom twice and the victim collapsed to the ground and began bleeding. The injured man underwent surgery and was hospitalized for seven weeks.
Thom was able to see his shooter with the aid of lights attached to his home and surrounding buildings, the prosecution disclosed.
During his testimony, Thom told the court that he knew Alexander for some 14 years since he resided about seven doors from him in Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
He disclosed that the two of them never had any misunderstanding.
According to Thom, on March 23, 2015 about 01:00hrs, he went to the back of his yard to feed his dogs just after a christening celebration that was held in that same yard—but at the front—for his baby daughter. He recalled that the event began at around 20:00hrs the previous day.
Thom later told the court that he was shot to the left side of his upper chest.
Thom said that he was able to see Alexander’s entire face for about two to three minutes because the lights were shining on him. The witness said that light was not only reflecting from his home which is part of a two-storey range structure; but from another range structure which is located about 10 -15 feet from his home.