Accused in fatal mini mart robbery claim innocence
– claim cops used torture tactics to coerce statements
The three men accused of murdering Glen Xavier, who was killed during the robbery of a city mini mart, professed their innocence yesterday after being called upon yesterday to lead their respective defences.
Accused of the May 9, 2012 D’Urban Street robbery-murder are Ray Yokum, Steffon Campbell and Faisal Moore, called “Hard Mouth,” who are on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12member jury.
The men, who all opted to give unsworn testimony, said they knew nothing of the charge levelled against them and accused police of employing torture tactics on them while they were in custody.
For their part, Yokum and Campbell said that the only reason they signed the caution statements (CS), which the police say were taken from them, was because they were given electrical shocks and beaten by the lawmen. They are contending that they decided to sign the statements out of fear for their lives. All the statements were admitted into evidence.
They both said that they never willingly affixed their signatures to the documents and denied providing the police with the contents.
Moore, meanwhile, told the court that he too was shocked and beaten by the police, but said he withstood their demands to sign a document they had given him.
Each man also said he did not know the others.
Yokum’s attorney, George Thomas, had earlier a made no-case submission, which the judge overruled.
The case continues this morning at the Supreme Court in Georgetown, where Moore is expected to be calling two witnesses.
The state, represented by prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy, closed its case last Friday, after calling about 14 witness to the stand.
Campbell and Moore are represented by attorneys Maxwell McKay and Trenton Lake, respectively.
According to a caution statement which Lance Corporal Rodrick Melville said he had taken from Moore, the accused said that Xavier was shot and killed by a man whom he identified only as “Burnham.”
In a statement which Detective Rodwell Sarrabo had testified to taking from Yokum, this accused, too, said that he did not kill anyone, but only “link up de wuk,” which he passed on to “Hard Mouth,” and “Burnham.”
Yokum, the court had heard from the statement, told “Hard Mouth” and “Burnham,” to “do them thing properly.”
This accused was quoted in the statement as saying, “I didn’t kill them men. I link up Burnham and Hard Mouth with X, and they rob dem men, and it had to be dem kill them men.”
Meanwhile, in the CS which Sarrabo said he also took from Campbell, the latter was listed as detailing that it was “Hard Mouth” who was the shooter
Xavier, 26, of Harlem, West Coast Demerara was shot and killed after being robbed around 9 pm, at the Cornbread Mini Mart at Tues Wed D’Urban and Lime streets, Georgetown.
Men armed with handguns carried out the attack, before escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash on two Honda CG motorcycles.
Xavier, who was shot in his chest and left hand, later succumbed to his injuries. He died from haemorrhage and shock, due to gunshot injuries. For Ocean Going Vessels the opening lasts about For Trawlers the opening lasts about Feb 14, 2017 Feb 15, 2017 06:45 - 08:45 hrs 07:20 - 08:50 hrs