Accused changes plea after trial commences

Attempted murder

– admits to near-fatal wounding

Eon Archibald, 43, of East La Penitence, Georgetown whose trial for attempted murder commenced at the High Court changed his plea on Thursday afternoon, admitting that he unlawfully wounded Dwayne “Country” Morris on June 4, 2015.
The incident occurred at Pavement View Restaurant and Bar on D’Urban Street, Georgetown where Archibald viciously chopped Morris, because he believed that the man was having a relationship with the mother of his children.
However, when the matter came up for trial at the Demerara Criminal Assizes earlier this week, Archibald, who now works as a guard with a security company, entered pleas of not guilty on alternative counts. Led by State Counsel Narissa Leander, the prosecution presented the indictment, which contended that Archibald wounded “Country” with intent to murder him. He was also alternatively charged for having wounded Morris, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm or to maim, disable, or disfigure him.
Just before the jury was set to return for the afternoon session, Archibald informed Justice Sandil Kissoon that he desired to change his plea and admitted that he wounded his rival. During the short trial, the victim took the stand where he told the court that he knew Archibald from going to the Bar and the man’s partner, “Gail”, was a waitress there.
Morris had told the 12-member jury that he was at the back of the bar looking at the monitor when the waitress called out to him and when he got up to see what she wanted, the defendant approached him and accused him of being with “Gail”. The witness recalled the defendant firing several chops at him, putting his hands up to block them and being injured in the process.
Morris added that he then ran while trying to fend Archibald off and was injured to his side.
“I kept asking what going on and he say ‘I gon kill yo; I gon kill yo’,” the victim stated.
Justice Kissoon adjourned the matter to October 11, 2018 for presentation of a probation report and sentencing. Archibald was out on $300,000 bail prior to Thursday’s trial where he was leading his own defence, as he had no lawyer. He has been remanded to prison.