Judge, jury hear murder accused threatened to “burn down” building

2014 triple murder trial

As hearings commenced into the trial for the 2014 murders of Clarissa Rozario, Theresa Rozario and Hilrod Thomas, a total of two witnesses including a sibling of the deceased teens, took the stand on Wednesday to offer evidence into the case.
In the courtroom of Justice Brassington Reynolds, John Pyreandy was the first be called to the witness box, and told the court that he has been a businessman for the past 25 years as he went on to positively identify the two murder accused, Ganga Krishna and Avishkar Bissoon, who were seated in the prisoner’s dock.

Further, Pyreandy told the court that he operated a business in the lower flat of a three-storey wooden and concrete building that was situated at lot 65 King and Robb Streets, Georgetown – the location that the witness said that he spotted Krishna several times prior to the deadly blaze.
On this note, the witness disclosed that on one occasion, he observed Krishna at the premises with a blowtorch connected to two gas cylinders in his car, he added that another individual, whom he identified as Bissoon, was also present with the first accused, as they were removing the grilles from the building.
The court heard that on another occasion, the number one accused was at the said location speaking to a group of persons, claiming that the property belonged to him after which he proceeded to use threatening language. According to Pyreandy, he approached Krishna and told him to leave but the accused refused to do same and as such, a phone call was made to the Brickdam Police Station and a patrol car visited the location.
“I approached him and ask him to leave, he turned to me and said the property is his own. I told [him] he has to be a mad man and his reply to me was, ‘we’re going to see who is a mad man when I burn it down’. I made a phone call to Brickdam Police Station and spoke to Sergeant Lewis and a patrol was sent….the sergeant addressed Mr Ganga about going to the property and warned him again” the witness stated.
But according to the witness, Krishna still went ahead with issuing threats as they were leaving the police station together. Pyreandy communicated that “While we leaving the station together, he turned to me and said I will regret all the money I invested in it, I responded that you’re gonna go to jail. He said I’ll get people to burn it down for me”.
When asked by Prosecutor Seeta Bishundial what he recalled of November 17, 2014, Pyreandy told the court that on the day in question, he received a call and as a result, he left for his business location. The witness further explained that upon arrival at the location, he observed that the third floor of the building was completely burnt, while adding that he didn’t see Thomas nor his daughters.
Meanwhile, an emotional Zamara Dillon, during her testimony, informed the court that she was the sister of the now dead teens and the daughter of Thomas, who is also deceased. Dillon disclosed that 14-year-old Clarissa Rozario was a Fourth Form student of St Johns College while her 11-year-old sister, Theresa Rozario, was a First Form student of the New Guyana Trust College and they both resided with their father at lot 65 King and Robb Streets.
Dillon, through tears, told the court that on the day of their deaths, she was preparing for work when she got a phone call, which resulted in her rushing to the building where her family resided. The witness added that upon arrival at the scene, she saw the burnt building that had already collapsed with smoke emanating from same, but saw neither her father nor sisters.
The trial is set to continue today, and the remaining witnesses will be called to offer evidence.