Henry cousins murder trial: “I have no idea what I am in jail for,” accused tells Judge, Jury

The prosecution has closed its case in the trial of Anil Sancharra and Vinod Gopaul, who are accused of the September 2020 murders of West Coast Berbice cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry.
The development came after the state called its final witness before Sancharra took the stand in his own defence.
On Wednesday the prosecution formally closed its case in the trial of Anil Sancharra, known as “Dan Pole” or “Rasta”, and Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga”, who are accused of murdering cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry.
Before resting its case, State Counsel Marisa Edwards called the prosecution’s final witness, Winston Henry.
Henry told the court that he was on the Essequibo Coast, reading a newspaper carrying photographs of the two slain cousins, when he was approached by key prosecution witness Akash Singh, who told him something.
The testimony mirrored evidence given earlier by Singh, who told the court that after the murders became public, he recognised the boys in a newspaper and told a man reading it that he was involved in the incident.
During his testimony, Singh had also told the court that after returning to Black Bush Polder, he informed his sister that he and others had killed two people.
Singh’s testimony is a major part of the prosecution’s case.
The witness previously stated that he accompanied the accused into the backlands where marijuana plants were being cultivated and claimed the cousins were attacked after damage was discovered to crops in the area.
He further testified that the bodies were later moved from the scene.
Throughout the proceedings, defence attorneys Dexter Todd and Chandra Sohan challenged Singh’s credibility and version of events during extensive cross-examination.
Meanwhile, following Winston Henry’s testimony on Wednesday, the state formally closed its case after calling sixteen witnesses.
The defence then opened its case.
After being advised of his options, Sancharra elected to take the witness stand and was led by attorney Todd.
Giving evidence before Justice Simone Morris and the 12-member jury, Sancharra told the court that between September 1 and 6, 2020, he was living at Tain Village, Corentyne, with a Spanish woman.
He said during that period he worked as a labourer in the Black Bush Polder backlands, sewing paddy and cleaning trenches.
Sancharra further testified that on September 5, the day before the bodies of the two cousins were discovered, he was working with two men identified as Ransom and Joe and was not with Akash Singh.
Rejecting the allegations against him, Sancharra told the court, “I have no idea what I am in jail for,” he replied when questioned.
He said investigators brought Akash Singh to him at CID Headquarters and that he denied the story Singh told.
According to Sancharra, he informed Police that he could not provide a statement about something he knew nothing about.
He also maintained that he did not know Cotton Tree Backdam or Number Seven Village Backdam at the time.
Under cross-examination by State Counsel Marisa Edwards, Sancharra acknowledged that Akash Singh is his brother.
He also agreed that an interaction between him and Singh was video recorded.
“But he did not look me in the eye when he was talking; he bent his head… Is the Police telling him to say so?” Sancharra responded.
He further told the court that while he, Singh and Gopaul worked together from time to time, they did not socialise together.
He denied ever travelling with Singh and Gopaul to a marijuana farm and denied any knowledge of allegations that the bodies of the two teenagers were placed on horses and removed from the scene.
The trial continues today before Justice Simone Morris and a 12-member jury at the Berbice High Court, when Sancharra is expected to continue his testimony under cross-examination.