Murder accused Jahryl Reid had admitted to battering businessman Colin McLean in the head with a piece of wood, after the man attempted to sodomise him, according to his caution statement, which was admitted into evidence at his trial yesterday.
Reid, 21, is on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a 12-member jury for the April 27, 2014, murder of McLean, 52, at Mabura, Upper Demerara River.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The caution statement was tendered and read by Detective Lance Corporal Rawle Bacchus, who stated that acting on information received, he contacted Reid at his Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo home a day after the murder and put the allegation to him that he killed McLean.
Bacchus said that after placing Reid in custody at the Mackenzie Police Station, he cautioned him, and the man eventually opted to make a statement to him and also elected him to write it. The detective added that what the accused then told him was said in the presence of Sergeant Gilbert Ross.
Defence attorney Madan Kissoon had no objection to the caution statement being admitted into evidence and read to the court.
According to the statement, Reid told Bacchus that McLean, a shop owner, whom he knew and referred to as “Archie,” had asked him to go to his Mabura residence to complete building a shelf for him.
Reid left his Vergeneogen home around midday and arrived around 6 pm, at which time he said McLean enquired whether he was hungry. According to the statement, he said no and also told McLean, “I ain’t ready fuh drink.”
Sometime after, the statement said, Reid went and took a bath before watching television outside in the shop area; McLean then closed the shop and went to take a bath also.
Reid said that after McLean had taken his bath, he told him to turn off the television and join him in the bedroom, which he did. The accused said McLean then asked him if he was still “vex,” to which he enquired about what.
According to the statement, McLean said, “About wah happen the last time.” Reid said he told McLean that he did not “want to talk about that,” because the last time, he (McLean) had forced him to drink and sodomised him after.
According to the statement, the electricity was shut off about 11 that night, at which point they both went to sleep in the same bed. Reid told the detective that McLean woke him up the following morning stating, “Yuh know yuh gah give me something before yuh go away.”
Reid said he responded, “Me ain’t deh pun wah you deh pun.” Reid recounted to the detective that McLean, who by then was naked, attempted to forcefully sexually assault him, including pushing him onto the bed and pressing a pillow into his face, although he asked him to stop.
He said he managed to escape and armed himself with a piece of wood, which he used to hit McLean in the head a number of times when the man continued his attempt.
According to the statement, Reid said McLean started to bleed and fell backward on the bed, bursting the mosquito net in the process. He said he searched the pockets of the pants McLean was previously wearing, removed some $30,000, locked up the shop, and left. Before doing so, he had changed his bloodied pants and on his way back home, disposed of them on a dam in Vergeneogen.
Asked by Kissoon under cross-examination whether he had accompanied the accused to the spot where the pants were allegedly thrown into the trench, Bacchus said he did.
When asked if he went into the trench to retrieve the pants, the witness said no, before adding that he used a stick designed as a rake to comb the trench.
Detective Sergeant Ross later corroborated that he was present when the accused gave his statement. He also recalled photographing the scene of the murder, where stains of what appeared to be blood were seen in the bedroom. Those photos were tendered and admitted into evidence.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Harvey Sutherland, who also testified, recalled going to McLean’s home with a party of policemen and having to break the lock to get in, after which they discovered the man’s remains.
The brother of the deceased, Tracey Johnson, also took the stand and recalled witnessing the post-mortem examination being conducted on his brother’s body.
The trial, which is being heard at the High Court in Georgetown, continues on Monday morning at 9, when the fifth of the State’s nine witnesses is expected to take the stand.
The State’s case is being led by Prosecutor Shawnette Austin in association with Siand Dhurjon.
