Freddie Kissoon’s sanity in question as trial continues

Faeces throwing case

Columnist Freddie Kissoon failed to demonstrate comprehension of basic questions posited to him by defence attorney Glen Hanoman, during the trial of the three men accused of throwing faeces on him. The trial continued on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
In a packed Courtroom, the three defendants, Sean Hinds, Kwame McCoy and Jason Abdulla appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Hanoman continued his cross-examination but Kissoon had to be caution several times by Magistrate Latchman after he kept ranting at every question posited to him by the attorney. Kissoon went on to ask the Magistrate if he was required to answer certain questions that were put to him by the attorney, of which the magistrate replied in the affirmative.

Hanoman experienced great difficulties securing direct answers from Kissoon, who opted to respond to every question with a philosophical answer. His responses seemed to entertain the courtroom that chuckled every time he answered. More than once Kissoon sought to overpower the attorney and instead began to question him. Kissoon further pleaded with the magistrate to answer a particular question that the Magistrate ruled she would not be allowing in her courtroom.
Hanoman requested that the evidence given by Kissoon to be withdrawn since he has proven on several occasions that he is incompetent to stand trial. He added that several criteria are met by Kissoon that can deem him to be incompetent which are, memory lapse, understanding the questions and unable to give simple and direct answers.
The defence council told the court that Kissoon was unaware he had to tell the whole truth to the court since he told the court that he is only there to tell the truth which has dimensions. A frustrated Hanoman blurted that “too much education is a bad thing.”
At the previous hearing when the question was posited to Kissoon about whether or not he could have identified the person/persons who threw the substance on him he replied in the negative.
Kissoon claimed that he did not recognise anyone of the accused as the person who threw the “nasty-smelly” substance on him when questioned by Police Prosecutor, Kerry Bostwick. In fact Kissoon told the court that the image of the person that threw the substance is engraved in his mind as much as the first time he kissed his wife.
He added that he can describe the ‘culprit’s’ facial features and height since at the time the substance was thrown at him, he was wearing his glasses and it did not affect his ability to see. In his evidence, he told the court that prior to the incident he had never seen the individual.
Kissoon further explained that he saw the person who threw the substance on him for 90 seconds, who later ran east to west of North Road.
He was cross-examined by attorney Latchmie Rahamat at the first hearing, who is representing McCoy, while Abdula’s attorney, Glen Hanoman, concluded his cross-examination on Friday.
Attorney George Thomas, who is representing Hinds, will be cross-examining Kissoon at the next court hearing on September 16. It is alleged that on May 24, 2010, in Georgetown, McCoy, Abdulla and Hinds assaulted Kissoon.
The trio allegedly walked up to Kissoon and instigated the throwing of faeces in Kissoon’s face after he had emerged from Nigel’s Supermarket, Robb Street, Georgetown.