Accused in fatal Hope robbery to know fate soon

-co-accused freed

 

Closing statements were made on Monday in the re-trial of Orin David, who is accused of the fatal shooting of Lakeram Bishundial in 2010.

David had been one of two persons on trial for Bishundial’s murder but on Friday his co-accused, Shawn Thom, was freed after a no-case submission was upheld by Justice James Bovell-Drakes.

During Monday’s hearing, state prosecutor Natasha Backer closed the prosecution’s case. David is being represented by attorney George Thomas, who also closed the defence’s case.

The case is scheduled to wrap up today.

It is alleged that David, called ‘Plait Hair,’ murdered Bishundial, who was fatally shot during a robbery at Hope, East Coast Demerara, in 2010.

The re-trial comes nearly a year after a jury failed to come to a unanimous verdict after nearly four hours of deliberation. For each of the men, they were split 6 to 6.

Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin had closed her case against the men after calling 14 witnesses and a no-case submission entered by the duo’s lawyers was subsequently overruled by then presiding Justice Franklyn Holder.

In 2010, a third man, Sheik Alim Samad of Lot 128 Barr Street, Kitty, was arrested and charged with the murder also but he was discharged at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court. A senior police officer had testified that Samad had given him information, including David’s name, false name and his location.