Accused walks free, but later rearrested

Fireman’s murder trial in Berbice…

The two accused in the murder trial of a fireman were both set free by a mixed jury on Monday but still had to return to jail after State Prosecutor Judith Mursalin

 

informed the court that the duo was on a list to be tried for robbery under arms.
On trial for the December 24, 2011 murder of 22-year-old Delon Collins of Vrymen’s Erven, New Amsterdam Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) were Hallman Hunte, 40, of Alness, Corentyne and Sohan Busjit, 26, of Limlair Village, Corentyne.
After more than a two-hour deliberation, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. Before the verdict was read, Justice Brassington Reynolds addressed the jury for more than four hours giving them guidance on how to come up with a verdict.
The State’s case stated that the two accused killed fireman Delon Collins during a robbery on Christmas Eve night, 2011, at the home of his girlfriend Nadine Crawford.
Crawford evidence in the trial came under scrutiny by both defence Attorneys Ramesh Rajkumar and Horatio Edmonson who represented Hunte and Busjit respectively.
During the trial, the State called seven witnessed and the defence called four witnesses including the two accused.
In her evidence, Crawford said she gave six statements to the Police, claimed she knew Hallman Hunte for several years and that they once attended the Alness Living Water Church. She said that she had seen Sohan Busjit on two occasions prior to that Christmas Eve night. The first occasion was when she was assigned to the New Amsterdam Prison as a Welfare Officer and he came in to the admission room and the second occasion was about two weeks before the night in question when he was in the prison yard.
In an unsworn statement from the dock, Hunte said, “Your Honour, I am innocent. I never had a matter at the Whim Magistrate Court at 2011, neither was I in prison in 2010 .I never attended Alness Living Water Assembly Church with Nadine Crawford or Jane Hawker. I didn’t know where they lived. I never robbed Nadine Crawford or kill Delon Collins. I am innocent.”
Busjit, in giving his evidence from the dock denied the allegation and related that he left Guyana two weeks before Christmas in 2011.
“I do not know nothing about what Crawford talking about. I never see Nadine Crawford, I never knew her. Mr Persaud put me in the identification parade. Two minutes later the door opened and he say you all come out. Mr Persaud call me saying Busjit come this way. Mr Persaud told me that I was the one that people pointed out. I ask Mr Persaud if I can see the people and he say the people jumped into a car and they drove away. Mr Persaud took me to a table and had a seat. My fist was in a cuff. He placed a pen in my hand and told me to write my name Sohan Busjit. Since the middle of November I left Guyana and went to Suriname. In January 2012 I was deported from Suriname. I am innocent of this charge. I never knew Hallman Hunte on the road. I met Hallman in 2012 February in prison after he went to court.”
After the two were set free of the murder charge, Prosecutor Mursalin told the court that both men had to return to jail since they had other matters pending.
Both are on a charges of robbery under arms stemming from the December 24, 2011 incident while Busjit was on the list of matters to be tried at the Berbice Assizes during the February session.
He is to be tried for attempt to commit murder, wounding with intent and common assault. Busjit is currently serving a one-year sentence.