A man who was accused of killing a 14-year-old boy on the Corentyne in 2016 was on Thursday set free after a no case submission was upheld by Justice Joann Barlow in the Berbice Assizes.
Justice Joann Barlow ruled that there was no evidence to convict the accused.
On trial for the August 2016 murder of 14-year-old Akeem Jamila Grimond, also called “Lil Boy” and ‘Ukery Black Boy’, of 53 Section ‘B’ Number 61 Village Corentyne, was Terami Gooleharran, also called “Bruise Up”.
It was alleged that Gooleharran murdered the teenager between August 18 and 22, 2016. Grimond’s decomposed body was discovered in a ditch situated in the backlands of the village.
The Prosecution’s case, presented by State Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, was that Gooleharran killed Grimond and left his body at the village cemetery.
The prosecution called seven witnesses, including a pathologist and wife of the accused — Tajwattie Persaud, also called ‘Finie,’ who was the Prosecution’s chief
Freed: Terami Gooleharran
witness.
In her evidence, Persaud said that two days after Grimmond was reported missing, her husband came home with blood on his clothes, and he told her that the boy is dead, and they would have to buy biscuits and coffee.
Under cross examination by Defence Attorney Sasha Robertson, Persaud said she had a good relationship with her husband.
She also admitted that the day he had blood on his clothes, he did bring home pig meat. The woman also told the court that when her husband told her that they have to buy biscuit and coffee, there was already a tent erected in front of the yard where Grimond lived.
Being re-examined by Prosecutor Hardy, the witness added that her husband told her that he killed the teenager. It was the first time she was mentioning this development since giving Police a statement back in 2016.
She also admitted that she had made several reports at the Number 51 Police Station that her husband had physically hurt her.
Robertson told the court that the Prosecution failed to make out a case against the
Dead: Akeem Jamila Grimond
accused. She argued that the chief witness would have moved out and started living with someone else as soon as her husband had been arrested.
Robertson also noted that Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan testified that the boy would have died days before he was last reported being seen. She also pointed out that the witnesses who testified said neither the step-father with whom Grimond lived nor his mother had attended the funeral, nor has either since been seen.
Justice Barlow said the evidence seemed to be pointing to other people, and not the accused. She advised Gooleharran to stay away from Persaud, noting Persaud had said they were having issues in their relationship. He was also advised to pull his life back together, as he was freed.
