One of the main witnesses in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against James and Timothy McKenzie, who are accused of killing Cornhill Street fruit vendor Richard Noel, was almost jailed yesterday after she told a court she didn’t give a statement to the police.
James McKenzie, 54, of Lot 35 Public Road, Kitty, and his son, Timothy McKenzie, 21, of Lot 126, Public Road, Kitty, are charged with murdering Noel on June 4th, at Stabroek Market, Georgetown.
During the continuation of the PI yesterday, 23-year-old Ashanti Nedd denied giving statements to the police regarding the murder of Noel and was subsequently remanded to prison by Magistrate Faith McGusty. However, the mother of one began crying bitterly in court. “I can’t leff me daughter with anyone,” the woman told the magistrate, while weeping.
Out of consideration for the child, who was also present at the court, Nedd was then given more than fifteen minutes to decide whether or not she wanted to testify.
She subsequently informed the court that she was willing to testify and went on to detail her observations of what occurred before, during and after the murder of Noel.
After concluding her testimony, the matter was adjourned until today, when at least three more witnesses are expected to testify.
Noel, called ‘Nippo,’ of Lot 39 William Street, Kitty, was stabbed once in the chest. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in a critical condition. He succumbed to the injury around 9 pm on the same day.
