Prosecution replies to no-case submission at Friendship murder trial

The prosecution concluded its reply to the no-case submission made by the defence in the Sherwin Barnwell murder trial in the High Court before Justice Franklyn Holder yesterday.

The prosecution’s reply came a day after Barnwell’s lawyer George Thomas made a no-case submission to the court. The matter was adjourned to today after the prosecution’s submissions.

Barnwell is accused of killing Nohar Bahadur by allegedly beating him to death, at Friendship, East Bank Demerara in 2006.

Barnwell had admitted in his statement to the police, which was admitted as evidence in the trial, that he had slapped the deceased and rode away on a bicycle. Adrian James who gave evidence in the matter had also told the court that he saw Barnwell slapping and stomping Bahadur on the night of the man’s death.

However, pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh had told the court in his evidence that the cause for the death of Bahadur was a stab wound to his chest.

Meanwhile, in Justice Roxane George’s courtroom, the prosecution closed its case in the Devon McFarlane rape trial. Prosecution witness, policeman Paul Tirat, was cross-examined by defence lawyer Ronald Burch-Smith yesterday.

McFarlane, called “Kang,” is accused of raping a woman at Bare Root, East Coast Demerara. The case will continue today.