Travis Archer was yesterday morning discharged of the 2017 murder of Sophia resident Jamal Munroe, after trial Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall upheld a no-case submission made by defence attorney Latchmie Rahamat.
The charge to which Archer had pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last month, alleged that he murdered Munroe between November 3rd and 4th, 2017 at Georgetown.
Rahamat argued that the prosecution failed to prove the essential elements of the offence and that the evidence was “weak” and “unreliable” and that it could yield no lawful conviction.
She had also advanced there being insufficient evidence regarding identification—as to whether it was her client who was present on the night in question.
In fact, she argued that the evidence could also not establish that it was Archer who had inflicted the injuries on the deceased.
It was against this background the Court ruled that the submission of no-case-to-answer would be upheld.
The judge had noted too that what the prosecution’s alleged eye-witness testified to having seen, was nothing more than a fleeting glance; while noting that there had also been insufficient evidence regarding the very quality of the identification.
The Court noted the poor lighting conditions under the dead of night and in all the circumstances—with there being nothing more than a fleeting glance—withdrew the case from the jury which upon the directions of the trial judge returned a formal verdict of not guilty.
The State’s case was led by Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave.
Munroe, 24, a labourer of ‘C’ Field, Sophia, died on the evening of November 3rd, 2017 after he was shot multiple times about his body during a row.
He sustained gunshot wounds to his legs, his lower back and his left hand. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.
The shooting occurred along the ‘C’ Field Access Road, around 10.45 pm.
The police, in a press release, had said that investigations revealed that Munroe and the suspect had an argument, during which he was shot.
Three other persons including a female security guard said to be Archer’s mother were initially arrested but then released.
While Stabroek News was told that Munroe’s girlfriend was at the centre of the argument between him and his assailant, the woman had refuted the claims. She said Munroe was shot during an encounter with the suspect over a cell phone that was stolen from her.
This newspaper had been told that Munroe’s girlfriend reportedly misplaced her cell phone at a shop and she subsequently saw the suspect picking up the phone when reviewing surveillance footage. As a result, a report was made to the Turkeyen Police Station and the suspect and his mother were taken into custody. They were later released after an agreement was reached to have the phone returned to its owner.
Munroe reportedly learnt of the incident and approached the suspect, resulting in the shooting.
