…but lack of facilities for remote trial at Blairmont Court may cause delay
By Clifford Stanley
The beginning of the Preliminary Inquiry into the charges against two of the men accused of the murder of the Henry cousins is set to begin on May 3rd but the absence of facilities for a remote hearing may pose a major problem for the start and successful completion of this process.
Counsel for the Defence Mr Dexter Todd signaled earlier today that the defence will not participate in that PI unless the accused persons have unhindered access to the remote system; can understand what is happening and can speak to their Lawyers confidentially and give them instructions as the PI progresses.
Mr Todd disclosed : “ We believe that they have a right to a fair trial and this is what a fair trial will be about. We understand the limitations of this Court as far as remote trials are concerned. This Court does not have the equipment to deal with a Skype or Zoom type trial. But these men have a right to a fair trial . I am very concerned about this situation, so we have to ensure everything is in place for that fairness otherwise we will not participate in a PI.”
Magistrate Peter Hugh had earlier set the May 3rd date for commencement of the PI into the charges against two of the men charged with the murder of the Henry cousins.
The accused are 20-year-old Akash Singh, called “Monkey,” of Zeelugt Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); his stepbrother, 34-year-old Anil Sancharra, called “Dan pole” and “Rasta,” of D’ Edward Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB); and 30-year-old Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice.
It is alleged that they murdered Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19 between September 5, 2020, and September 6, 2020, at Cotton Tree Backdam, WCB.
Sancharra and Gopaul were charged jointly with the two counts of murder while Singh was charged separately also with two counts of murder.
The three men first appeared in Court in Georgetown on January 15th last and have been held in separate prisons since then.
Also, all the hearings at the Blairmont Magistrate Court in whose jurisdiction the offence was allegedly committed, have been done remotely via Whatsapp with the use of the cell phone belonging to the Prosecutor..
The badly mutilated bodies of Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19 both of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB)were found dumped in a clump of bushes in the backlands of Cotton Tree Village on Sunday afternoon September 6th 2020 after they failed to return home from a trip into the forested area the day before.
Both bodies bore several ‘chop wounds’. Isaiah had the letter ‘X’ carved on the back of his head and forehead, while Joel’s chest was cut open, exposing his organs.
The horrific manner in which the teenagers were killed sparked outrage in the villages and many residents took their protest to the main roadway collecting debris and setting them alight on the roadway.
Three days later 17 year old Haresh Singh, of Number Three Village, whio was said to be a relative of one of the persons who was being investigated in connection with the Henry killings was found murdered in the Number Two Village backdam, a village near to where the bodies of the Henry boys were found.
Singh it was said had gone into the backlands on an errand to transport water for a relative working on a farm.
While police have charged three men for the murders of the Henry boys, no one has to date been charged with the murder of Haresh Singh.
Late February last the leader of the political Opposition Mr Joseph Harmon disclosed that he had been assured by the Commissioner of Police that the murder of Haresh Singh was still under investigation and a conviction was forthcoming.
There have been no reported developments in the murder of Haresh Singh since then to date.
During a brief hearing of the matter at Blairmont Court against the two accused earlier today there was no contact by the Court with the accused men.
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The Magistrate pledged to block off time for the PI on 3rd and 4th of May and two days consecutively every week for that PI with an average of four witnesses per day so that it could be speedily completed.
There was no disclosure in Court today on the arrangements for the PI into the charge against Akash Singh the man charged separately with the same offence (END).
