Accused to face retrial over murder of Linden man

Rochino Maison now faces a retrial after a jury failed to arrive at a unanimous verdict on the charge accusing him of murdering Keno Griffith of Mackenzie, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), whom he is alleged to have chopped with a cutlass on July 26, 2021.
Maison, 27, also of Mackenzie, Linden, had been on trial for the capital offence before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the High Court in Demerara. The jury notified the court on Monday that they were unable to reach a verdict after their deliberations. This is called a hung jury.
As a result, Maison was told by the trial Judge that he would be retried for the offence at a later time, determined by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In the meantime, he remains on remand.
State Counsel Caressa Henry and Delon Fraser prosecuted this matter, while Attorney-at-Law Domnick Bess represented Maison.

Background to the case
On July 26, 2021, as 36-year-old Keno Griffith, also known as “Tuckey”, had tried to make peace between the accused and a woman, he was allegedly chopped in the head and on one of his arms by Maison.
According to the Police, investigations revealed that there had been a misunderstanding between Maison and a female member of the community, resulting from Maison having allegedly squeezed the woman’s breasts and she allegedly spitting on him.
An infuriated Maison had proceeded to throw a bucket of water at the woman, whereupon Griffith had hurried to the woman’s aid. This had led to a fight between Griffith and Maison, and to Maison subsequently brandishing a cutlass and wounding Griffith on the head and arm.
Griffith had been transported to the Linden Hospital Complex, where he had remained hospitalised for a few days, while Maison had been being charged with attempted murder. After Griffith had passed away, the charge against Maison was upgraded to murder.
Griffith’s cause of death was given as cirrhosis, bleeding, and shock.
In 2015, Maison, then just 19 years old, had been charged with the murder of 50-year-old Rural Constable Andre Britton, a father of five, who died on January 1, 2015 at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
According to reports, Britton had prevented four young men from throwing squibs into his yard and toward onlookers on New Year’s Eve 2014. Later, on New Year’s Day, one of the young men stabbed Britton in the neck and abdomen, and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahdia Hospital.
Rochino Maison had been sentenced to nine years in prison for that offence, after entering a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Having been released from jail after serving that sentence, he was subsequently charged with Griffith’s murder.