Guilty! Jury convicts 5 men for killing phone card distributor

Five men accused of murdering a Corentyne phone card distributor in February 2017, were on Friday found guilty by a jury.

The men were accused of killing 36-year-old Danian Jagdeo, a phone card distributor, on February 8, 2017, at Adventure, Corentyne, during the course of a robbery.
The jury returned the unanimous verdict on Friday afternoon after a lengthy trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon which commenced in February of this year at the Berbice Assizes.
Mark Dhuman, Abdul Salam Azimullah called “Sato”, Shuman Batson, Satish Budram and Zaheer Abdulla called “Gold Teeth” maintained their innocence during the trial.
They were being represented by attorneys Siand Dhurjon, Moti Singh, Ravindra Mohabir, Sasha Roberts and Surihya Sabsook.
The State’s case was presented by Attorney-at-Law Abigail Gibbs.
In presenting the State’s case to the jury, the prosecutor said the five accused are responsible for robbing and murdering Jagdeo. The State presented both Police and civilian witnesses to convince the jury.
On February 8, 2017, Jagdeo was followed from Corriverton to the village of Adventure after making several stops at places to conduct business.
At Adventure, Jagdeo stopped at Country Chef Creole Snackette and was in conversation with the business owner when a man pretending to be a customer walked into the establishment.
Jagdeo enquired whether the business owner knew the strange-looking man entering the premises; however, before the owner could respond properly, the man whipped out a gun and aimed it at Jagdeo.
Upon seeing this, the business owner ducked under the counter while several shots were fired.
When the businessman resurfaced, the bandits were running out of the shop with Jagdeo’s bag while the injured man lay in a pool of blood. He was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
By daylight the following day, the five accused were in Police custody along with two other suspects; one who made the false number plate for the motorbike the accused used and the teenager who purchased the gasoline for the getaway motorbike.
The motorbike was discovered one village away from the murder scene about two hours after the incident.
One of the prosecution’s key witnesses, Sergeant Philbert Wilbur detailed a night and entire morning of traversing the Corentyne during which the five suspects were arrested and the alleged murder weapon was found.
The Police officer said that at about 22:00h, acting on information, he and a party of Police officers went to a wake house at Hampshire Village and contacted Azimullah. He was arrested and at about midnight he was able to arrest Satish Budram.
Just before 2:30h the following morning, Batson was arrested at the house at Williamsburg. Upon his arrest he told the Police officer, “Ah gon tell you everything when we get to the station,” Wilbur told the court.
When they got to the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost, Wilbur said Batson told him that he was going to take him to Canje and show him where the man who did the shooting lives; he said the man was called “Gold Teeth”.
He said while taking Batson to East Canje, he jumped out of the vehicle but was apprehended by Police officers.
When they got to the home which Batson pointed out as being Abdulla’s, they called at the door several times and then realised that someone had jumped through the back window.
The man had jumped over two barriers but got stuck between a picket fence where he was arrested. The officer told the court that Abdulla said he was also called “Marlon” and “Gold Teeth”.
Based on further information that was received, the court was told that at about 6:30h, Mark Dhuman was arrested.
Wilbur said as he and other officers continued to work, they received more information and then contacted Abdulla, who was in Police custody and told him that they were in receipt of information that suggested that the gun which was used in the shooting was hidden in his yard. He told the officer that it was not so but agreed to take them to his home at Hampshire Village to conduct the search.
During that search, what appeared to be a handgun was found on a heap of stripped branches, wrapped in a handkerchief.
Wilbur told the court that when the gun was found, Abdulla told him that a gun was hidden there by Batson.
Later a confrontation between Batson and Abdulla was had and Batson told Abdulla that the gun which was found was Abdulla’s.
The jury was shown the said firearm as the Police officer tendered it as evidence in the trial.
Following the verdict, Justice Kissoon ordered probation reports to be prepared for each of the accused. They will have to return to court on June 10. (G4)