-witness testifies
Shelika Lall, the secretary of businessman Malcolm Panday, yesterday testified that Jermaine Mitchell, one of the persons accused of carrying out the July 12, 2011 Bel Air heist, threatened to “blow her head off” and to kill everyone “starting with the children” during the robbery.
Lall, 27, who resides at the Bel Air address where the robbery occurred, has been the secretary and the Supervision Manager for the house staff at the Panday home for the past six years.
And she was present during the $7 million robbery, which was allegedly carried out by Mitchell, Chandraradha Rampersaud, Aubrey Simon, Rayon Jones and Hardat Kumar. The accused are on trial over robbing Panday’s partner, Annie Ramsood—who is also Rampersaud’s daughter—of $1.4 million and US$29,000 (equivalent to $5.8 million), which totals $7.2 million. They are also accused of robbing Ramsood of a BlackBerry Smartphone and a quantity of cash, valued at $427,000 in total.
Simon, who has been reported as having fled the jurisdiction, did not appear in court again yesterday when the trial resumed.
Lall, who took to the witness stand before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, recounted receiving a phone call for Panday at around 11 am on the day of the robbery. She said she proceeded to give him the phone, while at the same time noticing two men entering the compound.
Lall said she went to an open window by the patio and asked one of the men what he wanted, and he pulled out a gun from his waist and dealt her lash to the right side of her head, causing her injuries. “I scream and fell to the ground. I screamed because I was fearful for my life because I thought he would have killed me now, because I get hit with a strong force and I get a sudden headache,” Lall explained.
Lall said that after hitting her, the man then jumped through the window, scrambling her from the back of neck and pulling her roughly through the house, while pointing the gun to her head. “If you make any f#@*ing noise I would blow you head off,” she recalled him saying, before pushing her into a chair, where her hands were duct taped by his accomplice.
The man who attacked her started to ask the persons in the home where the money was kept but no one responded. At this point, Lall said, he became annoyed and started to use indecent language before pointing the gun to their faces. “If I don’t get the money I gon kill y’all, starting with the children,” she recalled him saying.
After his threat, Lall said, Ramsood, who had her two sons close under her, told him to not hurt anyone and she would take him to the money.
She said the man then grabbed Ramsood and dragged her to the back of the house.
According to Lall, the man’s accomplice then told them, “there is nothing to be afraid of. I am not a criminal; the other guy is. I hope he does not kill her.” She also noted that he then asked for two girls who were on vacation at the time.
Attorney Omeyana Hamilton, who made an appearance on behalf of attorney Michael Somersall, objected to the witness’s statement, challenging it as “hearsay.” Hamilton said Lall’s statement to the police did not match her testimony to the court and it should therefore be taken down as new evidence.
Special Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman, however, stated that he did not see a reason for the defence to object, while adding that the witness was just recalling what happened on the date in question.
After being allowed to continue her testimony by the Chief Magistrate, Lall said the man claimed he did not want to do the robbery, at which point his accomplice came running down the stairs. He attempted to jump over a chair in the living room but fell, she said. He then got up and they both made good their escape.
Hanoman asked Lall which part of his body was she able to see clearly. “I had a good look at his body but I got a good description of his face,” she responded.
He also asked her if she could identify him if she saw him again and she pointed out Mitchell.
Mitchell, given the opportunity to question Lall, asked whether she was sure he hit her and how many times he did so.
“Once,” she responded.
“But you seh I hit you twice,” he replied.
However, before Mitchell could continue with his questions, Hanoman objected to his assertion.
Meanwhile, Rabindranauth Seemangal, who confessed to his part in the robbery and was sentenced to eight years, was to begin his testimony for the prosecution yesterday, but Hamilton told the court that Somersall had objections.
Hamilton did not give reason for the objection but requested that the trial be stood down to allow her colleague to detail his objection before the court. The magistrate granted the defence’s request and the matter was adjourned to today.
