George Bacchus murder trial

The weapon allegedly used by murder accused Delon Reynolds to kill self-confessed death squad informant George Bacchus was yesterday tendered by the prosecution as exhibit ‘J 1’ as the murder trial continued before Justice Claudette La Bennett and a 12-member jury.

George Bacchus
George Bacchus

The prosecution also tendered a live round that was said to be in the barrel of the gun and the statement that was taken by Sergeant Winston Gravesande who testified to that account yesterday.

Three metal fragments were also tendered after Corporal Cedric Gravesande gave further evidence. Meanwhile, three spent shells which were also allegedly found in the barrel of the weapon are yet to be tendered. Defence Counsel Peter Hugh made no objections to the tendering of any of the items.

Constable Michael Phillips testified that he had taken Reynolds, known as `Fat man’ to the Bacchus residence to look for the gun that he said he had used to kill Bacchus. The weapon was recovered in a dump box at the back of the house, and Reynolds allegedly told Phillips, “this is the gun I used to kill George Bacchus.”

Phillips said he had cautioned Reynolds before this utterance that he was not obliged to say anything since it could be used as evidence in a trial against him.

Delon Reynolds
Delon Reynolds

The officer testified that on June 30, 2004, he and other officers had taken Reynolds to 76 Princes Street to look for the weapon, which he told them he had hidden there. Phillips said that after finding the gun he placed it along with the live round and the spent shells in a plastic bag and took it to CID, Eve Leary where he marked them ‘MP 1 HQ’, ‘MP 2 HQ’, and ‘MP 3 HQ’ respectively and placed them in separate envelopes which he also marked, then took the three parcels to the analyst department.

He said under questioning by State Counsel Judy Latchman that by his markings he was able to recognize the items at the preliminary inquiry and in court yesterday. The envelopes and their contents were then tendered at the state’s request and shown to jury.

Earlier in the day Corporal Cedric Gravesande who testified on the opening day of the trial gave further evidence. Questioned by State Counsel Dianna Boyan, he testified to collecting the Post Mortem (PM) report from Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh along with the three metal fragments that were given to him by Singh. The corporal said that he lodged these items at CID. The PM was also read by Gravesande. It stated that Bacchus died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

Nephew admits hiding Bacchus’s gun
Meanwhile, farmhand Raymond Legall called ‘Rice’ testified on Wednesday after Bacchus’s nephew, Derrick Prince, was cross-examined by Defence Attorney. The highpoint of Hugh’s cross-examination was the reason for Prince hiding Bacchus’s gun which was under his mattress at the time of his death. Prince had testified in his evidence in chief that he had hidden the gun after taking it on the night of his uncle’s death. He said however that when he went back to where he had hidden the gun, it was not there.

Prince had earlier replied to the prosecution’s questioning that he hid the gun because he wanted to keep it for his own protection, since his father had been executed a few months before his uncle was murdered. When questioned by Hugh he said he hid the gun because he did not want the police to find it since he wanted to keep it for himself. Hugh then told Prince that he had given two reasons for hiding the gun. However, under re-examination Prince said that both were reasons why he initially hid the gun.

Meanwhile Legall testified that he shared the second-floor room Bacchus stayed in at the back house at 76 Princes Street, up to three or four days before his murder. He moved out to 69 Princes Street because of a misunderstanding between him and Bacchus that resulted in Bacchus hitting him.

Legall said the last time he saw Bacchus alive was on June 23, 2004 around 7:15 when he was leaving the Bacchus premises, after eating some food he was offered by Jean Bacchus. He said he had seen Bacchus going up the stairs and he had looked “normal.”

Legall informed the court during his testimony that Jean Bacchus occupied the lower flat of the back house, while George Bacchus and Prince lived on the second floor. He said murder accused Reynolds stayed in the shed at the side of the house.

Legall testified that around 3 am on June 24, 2004 he was asleep when he vaguely heard noises.

‘Bucket of water’
When he came fully awake he realized that it was ‘Fat man’ calling for him. He answered and ‘Fat man’ hollered, “Rice! Rice! Get up somebody just murder yuh partner.” Legall said he “sling down” from where he was sleeping and ran outside. He then ran up the road after Reynolds. Legall said when they got into the yard they made their way to the steps leading to the second floor but that Reynolds ran past the stairs to the sheep pond and threw a bucket of water on himself. Legall said that he was able to see all of this because of the bright light at the side of the building.

Reynolds then joined Legall and they proceeded up the stairs where Legall asked Reynolds if he had awakened Prince. Reynolds replied that he was frightened but went to the young man’s door and knocked when they got into the second floor.

In response to a question from Prosecutor Zamilla Ally, Legall said the door to the second floor was hardly ever locked; hence they only had to turn the knob to open it.

Prince joined them and he was the one to open the door to Bacchus’s bedroom.

He said Bacchus was covered up, except for the left side of his face and he noticed a spot of blood under his left eye. He said Prince picked up Bacchus’s hand and held it straight in the air and dropped it and it fell down heavily.

Legall said he then told them not to touch the body and left the room.

They went downstairs, where “Derrick start hollering alyuh wake up somebody kill meh uncle.

“I can’t remember is which one a we but somebody tell ‘Fat man’ to go get the police by the back station [East La Penitence police station].”

Legall said Reynolds came back and told them that he called at the locked station’s gate but no one answered.

Shortly after, however, police officers from the Brickdam Police Station turned up.

After going upstairs and viewing the body the officers started questioning the three of them. Legall said that Reynolds kept asking for a cigarette and one of the officers told the others to keep a close eye on him. All three of them were then taken into custody and taken to the Sparendaam police station, where Legall said he spent 15 days.

Under cross-examination by Hugh, Legall said he saw Bacchus’s gun before and could identify it if he had to. He must return to court at a future date to do so.

He described the weapon as a .38 revolver, a barrel weapon, which Bacchus left either under his pillow or mattress.

Sergeant Orin Cameron who was stationed at the CID Headquarters, Eve Leary at the time of the murder, also testified, led by State Prosecutor Diana Boyan.

Cameron said that based on instructions given to him at the Bacchus residence after the murder on June 24, he arrested Reynolds and told him that it was alleged that he murdered Bacchus.

Cameron also testified that on June 30, during one of Reynolds’s visits to the CID, Reynolds approached him and told him that he wanted to tell the truth. Cameron said he summoned Inspector Trevor Reid and told him what Reynolds said. Cameron said he left him in Reid’s care after then.

Cameron also testified that on several occasions he took drinks and snacks for Reynolds when he was taken to CID and told him that he was hungry.

The officer told the court under Boyan’s questioning that he had never noticed any marks of violence or other tell tale signs on Reynolds body on the occasions he saw him.