“I lost consciousness” – victim tells jury recounting 2018 attack – Wedding house attempted murder

A police officer who had given evidence during the preliminary inquiry into the 2018 attempted murder of a man from Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), has passed away and on Monday, his previously recorded testimony was read in court as the trial commenced before a jury. On trial for the May 5, 2018, incident, which occurred at Bustlot Village, is Vishnu Jeenarine, called ‘Boyo’. He is indicted for attempting to murder Derek Drupal. The incident took place outside of a wedding house. The trial opened on Monday at the Berbice High Court in front before a mixed jury. Attorney-at-Law Marisa Edwards is presenting the state’s case, while Attorney-at-Law Charlene Ortega is representing the accused. Justice Deborah Kumar-Chatty is presiding over the case. Among those giving evidence when the trial opened was Sergeant Shenelle Matterson, who was the Prosecutor at the Whim Magistrate’s Court during the preliminary inquiry.

She testified that the now deceased police officer, Stacy Yearwood had provided evidence to the court on the matter. Matterson read the testimony of Yearwood, who participated in the investigation, allowing the jury to hear the testimony of the now-deceased police officer. However, the prosecution’s key witness was the victim, Derrick Drapaul, who was one of seven witnesses to take the stand.
Drupal told the court that he knew the accused from seeing him on the road in the community. He said he never had any issues with him prior to the incident. However, on the day in question, he went to the wedding house and he met three friends and referred to them as Samuel, Ricardo, and Junior. He also met his brother-in-law, Kevin Bassoo, at the wedding house. He told the court that when he was leaving, he saw the accused, who walked up to him and struck him with a piece of wood, and he fell to the ground. He said his brother-in-law assisted in getting him to his feet and the accused approached him again and struck him several more times, causing him to fall. Drupal testified that while he was at the wedding house, he did see the accused, but they did not have any conversation.
He referred to the piece of wood that was used to hit him in his head has been about three feet in length and 2 ½ inches in diameter. He told the court that the wood was round. When he was launched the second time, it was with a different piece of wood, which Drapaul described as having a square edge. However, he could not recall the length of that wood. “I lost consciousness,” he told the court.
Drapaul testified that he regained consciousness woke up three days later at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). “Me head cap broke out,” Drapaul said.
He said, indicating to the court that the right side of the top of his skull was missing. Drupal said he spent two weeks at the medical facility before being discharged and had to return for follow-up treatments for the next year. Under cross-examination, Drapaul denied telling the police that he and the accused were family members.
He admitted that it was in front of the house on the street and not on the bridge where the incident occurred. He told the court that there were about 20 to 30 people around when he was hit and at the time, he said his three friends were not next to him. Drapaul also said that he was at the wedding house from 20:00h until midnight and during that time he had consumed four bottles of beer.
He also admitted on the cross-examination that his now wife was at the wedding house, but he did not know who she went to the wedding with in 2018. Drapaul said she did not speak to him that night. The trial continues today when the prosecution is expected to call three more witnesses. The prosecution has indicated that it has eleven witnesses.