Despite his statement to police, accused Keith Doris was never placed by the main witness at the scene of the murder of Rambarran Singh, his lawyer told a jury yesterday.
As closing arguments were presented before Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes, Doris’ lawyer George Thomas said that Singh’s son, Rajendra Singh, did not identify his client as one of the three men who assaulted and robbed them, resulting in his father’s death. State Prosecutor Prithima Kissoon, however, noted that Doris, in his statement to the police, admitted that he was present during the robbery, saying that he was going “pon a wuk.”
Doris had previously testified that he only signed the confession statement after he was severely beaten. He also said that he was unaware of what he was signing, since he is illiterate.
It is alleged that on November 24, 2006, Doris murdered Singh, called ‘Jaio’ of 26 Good Faith, Mahaicony, at his home and business during a robbery. Singh was found dead in his bed, shortly after an attack was launched on him and his son by persons posing as customers who carted off a large sum of money and jewellery from the shop they operated at their home. A post-mortem examination later revealed that the man was hit in the head and suffered heart failure as a result.
Thomas, in his address, noted that Rajendra Singh told the court that three boys and a woman were at the scene on the night of his father’s death. “He never at one time said that Mr. Doris, a man who wears glasses, was at his place. He never pointed him out. His evidence says three boys went to his home. He identified the attackers based on age and race. He never put Mr. Doris there and he never put him at the scene,” Thomas stated.
He noted pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh’s opinion that the man died approximately half an hour after the attack and asked the jury to consider whether it would have taken half an hour for his son to go and check on him. The question of time of death, Thomas said, had not been made clear to the jury.
Making reference to Doris’ statement to the police, Thomas reiterated that his client was beaten to sign the confession. He added that he was almost suffocated and that he was hungry, thirsty and was denied the right to make contact with his family. “If you think that Mr. Doris gave that statement voluntarily then you examine it,” he said.
He then proceeded to highlight differences in the statements by Assistant Superintendent of Police Allwyn Wilson and Rajendra Singh, noting that they presented different accounts of what had transpired.
“Did Singh, the one man who was there with his father, put Mr. Doris in the scene? He didn’t say anything like that!” he emphasised.
‘Guilty’
Kissoon, in her address to the jury, described the case as yet another instance where a family was a victim of aggressive violence that led to murder. She asked that the jury evaluate the facts and realise that Doris went to the Singhs’ home with the intention to rob the family of their wealth and used violence, which resulted in the death of Rambarran Singh.
Kissoon read Doris’ statement, noting that he said that he was approached by someone named “John,” who told him he would “carry me pon de wuk.” Doris, according to the statement, along with John and someone identified as ‘Buckman’ travelled to Mahaicony, where they were met by a woman identified as “Denise,” who helped with the attack.
John, according to Doris’ statement, put the gun to Rajendra Singh’s head and the others went up to the older Singh. Doris, the statement said, claimed he stayed with the younger Singh. “They come down back and said the man get heart attack… I didn’t get no money and I ain’t see nobody with money… all I been is looking on. I ain’t beat nobody. Is John and ‘Buckman’ beat de man son. I carry de police and show them de shop we went in and where the man dead,” Kissoon quoted Doris as telling police.
“He said he was going on a wuk. They weren’t going [to] make a living at the shop. They were going to take a living and a life if necessary,” she said, while also noting that Singh had told the court that at the time of the incident when the men entered his home, he was beaten mercilessly, he escaped and went upstairs and saw his father in a struggle with a man over a shotgun. “This is the very ‘Buckman’ Keith Doris is referring to in his statement,” she pointed out.
She further stated that Singh, in his statement, repeated numerous times that he was terrorised as he described the experience when the perpetrators entered his home. “Do you believe he stood there and deceived you when he said because of that fear he couldn’t identify the three men who mercilessly beat him the night? You must realise that he has nothing to lose,” Kissoon added.
She went on to say that Doris, in his statement, placed himself at the scene and had clearly indicated that “John” placed a gun to Rajendra Singh’s head and asked for money. This, she said, would have let Doris know that violence would be used, but he did nothing to intervene or never said he wanted no part in it. Instead, she said Doris supported what had transpired.
Kissoon added that even if Doris was found to have been a silent observer who stood by with his arms to his side and looked at Singh being beaten, it remained a fact that his statement proved he was there and he supported the robbery, making him guilty.
In addition, Kissoon noted Doris’ allegations of police brutality, saying that they were grave and disturbing. It would be an injustice, she said, if Doris did suffer at the hands of the police, but she said that his claims were fabricated.
Kissoon said a nurse who examined Doris only found a hard boil on his chest and when she asked him about it, Doris told her it was nothing and that he had already received medication for it. That hard boil, Kissoon said, was a pre-existing ailment and was not an injury sustained after a hard lash by the police. “He never told the nurse that he was lashed to his chest. He said it was a hard boil and subsequently had surgery for that hard boil,” Kissoon noted.
She added that while the accused told the court that he only attached his signature to the confession, it was unusual that various details were included that the police would not have been aware of, such as the owner of the car and who used the weapon. “This is vital information… Keith Doris did cooperate with the police officers and force was not used with this accused,” Kissoon told the jury.
She went on to say that Singh was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital and noted that if those men had not gone there that night then Singh wont have suffered that blunt trauma and he wont have had a heart failure.
For the past three weeks, Kissoon said, Doris has appeared in court well dressed and has told the members of the jury good morning and good afternoon in an effort to earn their sympathy. However, she noted that another man could not come and greet them because he was dead. “Keith Doris is guilty of the death of Rambarran Singh. There is no room for sympathy in this case,” she declared.
The case will continue on Friday at 11 am.
