No images of car’s interior taken – Police photographer

Pegasus taxi driver’s murder

Hours after Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken opened the State’s case against Lorenzo Forde, who is accused of murdering Pegasus Hotel taxi driver Rubranauth Jeeboo during the course of a robbery, the 12-member jury heard that there was no image taken of the interiors of the deceased man’s Toyota Allion motorcar.
This was the account of former Policewoman Delicia Browne, who revealed that she was not asked to take photographs of the vehicle’s interior.
During December 2013, when Jeeboo’s body was found in a heap of garbage at Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Browne, then a Police constable, was stationed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), attached to the Brickdam Police Station’s Crime Scene Unit.
Led by Prosecutor Lisa Cave, the witness recalled being summoned to the crime scene at 08:00 hrs, and speaking with Police Corporals Dhanraj and Williams before taking photographs of the murdered man, who had been clad in a blue shirtjack and dark coloured trousers.
Browne said she took images of the body in its original position — faced downwards – and she had taken more photographs when Corporal Dhanraj turned the body to face the opposite direction.
About two hours after, according to Browne, she spoke with Corporal Williams, who showed her the Toyota Allion motorcar, which did not have a licence plate to the rear and the ‘HC’ part to the front licence plate was “barely showing”. Browne said that she and Corporal Williams securely placed the car on a tow truck to be taken away to the Brickdam Police Station.
Browne recalled taking photos of the outside of the car.
After brief cross-examination by Defence Counsel Hewley Griffith, members of the jury sought to ascertain why any photo was not taken of the car’s interior.
“I wasn’t instructed to take photos of the inside,” the former Policewoman informed the jury.
The 19 photographs she had printed and secured were tendered and admitted into evidence at Monday’s trial. Justice Reynolds allowed the exhibits to be shown to the jury, which in later days will determine whether the accused, Forde, is innocent or guilty. The matter was adjourned to Thursday morning, when more of the State’s 12 witnesses are expected to testify at the High Court in Georgetown.
Forde was 18 years old when he was first charged with the murder of Rubranauth Jeeboo. According to reports, on December 27, Jeeboo left his Campbellville, Georgetown home for work, and the following day, December 28, around 07:50h, his body was discovered with several injuries at Caneview Avenue.
State counsel Shawnette Austin is assisting the prosecution’s case.