The trial of Abishai Caesar for the 2012 murders of Anna Catherina businesswoman Jennifer Persaud and her two sons—Afridi Bacchus and 18-month-old Jadon Persaud is currently underway before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
The former barber is accused of killing the trio between September 21st and September 22nd, 2012 at their Sea View, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara home which also housed a rum and grocery shop owned by Persaud.
The prosecution’s case led by State Counsel Lisa Cave, is that Caesar, who was the woman’s neighbour, had gone over to her place to rob her, during which he killed all three of them.
Cave in her opening address to the jury said that it was Caesar’s reputed wife, Zoey Phillips who told investigators that her husband had revealed to her that it was he who had murdered Persaud and her two boys.
Testifying yesterday was Kumar Persaud who recalled making the gruesome discovery of the bodies of his daughter and two grandsons.
He said that based on certain information he had received, he had left his Friendship, East Bank Demerara home on the night of September 21, 2012 and travelled to his daughter’s home at Anna Catherina.
He said that the very next morning, in the company of his wife and another grandson, he again went back to Persaud’s house which was tightly shut, where he observed the Titan vehicle parked in the yard and the gates all locked.
He said that this prompted him to enquire from a neighbour whether his daughter had been seen, but he said that the woman to whom he spoke related that up to that point, Jennifer had not been seen.
He said that just then his grandson brought to his attention a zinc sheet partially detached from the fence, flapping in the wind. Persaud said that he and his grandson went through that opening in the fence and were able to gain access to his daughter’s house through the back door.
He said that the door appeared locked, but when he did tug at it, it swung open.
The father said that he and his grandson then proceeded to search the house, when they stumbled upon the bodies of his daughter and Afridi who was lying across his mother’s chest.
He said that police were immediately summoned, and it was after their arrival that they discovered Jadon’s body “which rolled out from under” a mosquito net which the lawmen untucked from around a bed.
Also testifying yesterday was cousin of the deceased woman, Mark Jhettoo, who said that in April 2016 he had accompanied investigators and the accused to his cousin’s house where Caesar had pointed out several things.
Among them, Jhettoo said that the accused had noted that the inner stairs of the woman’s house which was partially under construction had been shifted from its original locations. He said, too, that aback the house, the accused pointed to an opening in the fence.
Caesar was arrested and charged with the murders in 2016 after his then reputed wife reported to the police that he had said that he killed Persaud and her children during a robbery.
Thirty-five photographs taken of the crime scene by Detective Linden Forbes Sampson were tendered and admitted in evidence.
Caesar is being represented by defence attorney Rachael Bakker.
The trial continues this morning at 9.
