-cop testifies to finding unlicenced gun, accused plunging into river
The trial of Regan Rodrigues called ‘Grey Boy,’ for the 2015 murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing commenced yesterday morning before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
The indictment against Rodrigues, to which he has pleaded not guilty, is that on March 10th, 2015, he murdered Crum-Ewing at Third Avenue Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
In her opening address to the jury, Prosecutor Tyra Bakker noted that the state intends to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, that it is Rodrigues who inflicted the fatal injuries on Crum-Ewing, with the intention to kill or cause him serious bodily harm.
She said it was following police investigations that the accused was arrested and charged.
Testifying yesterday was Detective Sergeant Devon Bowen who recalled being on duty on the night in question about 10:50 at the Golden Grove Police
Station, East Bank Demerara where he received a telephone call.
As a result of that call, Bowen said that accompanied by a party of policemen, he went to a scene at Third Avenue, Diamond where he saw CrumEwing’s body lying face up on the street with a loud speaker/bullhorn nearby.
He also testified to being present three days later at the Georgetown Hospital’s morgue where he witnessed Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh perform an autopsy, during which two suspected warheads were extracted from the remains of the deceased.
The witnesses also recounted attending CrumEwing’s funeral and marking his grave by its location at the Le Repentir Cemetery.
Also testifying yesterday was Sergeant Dwayne Harvey who said he was in the presence of other policemen when a search was conducted at Rodrigues’ home where an unlicensed gun was found.
According to the Sergeant, being confronted by investigators about the find, Rodrigues responded saying, “Officer give meh a chance nah. I cannot turn in this gun. This gun did nuff things.”
Harvey then told the court that by about that time, the accused managed to escape from lawmen and ran towards the Demerara River into which he plunged. The Sergeant said that another officer pursued Rodrigues but was unable to locate him.
Under cross-examination from defence attorney Adrian Thompson, Harvey agreed that he did give a written statement of the part he played in the investigations, but confirmed that it was not in relation to the charge of murder levelled against the accused, but rather as regards the unlicensed firearm.
When asked, Harvey
further confirmed for Thompson of being aware, not only that Rodrigues had been charged in relation to the unlicensed firearm but that he had also been found not guilty.
Thompson contended that at no time did his client ever make the oral statement attributed to him by Harvey and that him being home during the alleged search was also a fabrication by the police.
The Sergeant, however, disagreed with Thompson’s suggestions.
The trial continues at 9 this morning.