Pathologist takes to witness stand

Five Star Backdam killing

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh appeared at the High Court trial of Marlon Marion Freeman on Monday, and testified to having conducted the post-mortem examination on miner Timothy Adams, who was killed at Turtle Creek, Five Star Backdam, North West District (NWD) on December 22, 2013.
Adams was killed while en route to a mining camp. Freeman has been accused of killing Adams before stealing his gold following a confrontation between the two. Freeman has, however, denied that he murdered Adams.

During Monday’s trial, led by State Prosecutor Lisa Cave, Dr Singh explained that during the examination he discovered an abrasion to the left side of Adams’ face, a cut to the foot and a cut to the top and back of the head. The expert witness also discovered an incised wound to the neck and determined that a sharp object was used. As such, he gave the cause of death as haemorrhage and shock compounded by blunt force trauma to the head.
The testimony of the Government Pathologist correlated with what Police Detective Corporal Bryan James had testified to the jury when he disclosed that he penned the caution statement of the accused, who allegedly admitted to the killing. Corporal James had claimed that the defendant might have killed Adams, because he thought the miner was going to pull a gun after he confronted him over money that was owed to him.
Bryan, who administered the caution statement on December 25, 2013 in the presence of then Police Constable Zane Williams, had indicated Freeman saying that he first went to work with his uncle at Five Star Backdam, but after they “got wrong”, he went to work at Gavin Blacks’ mining camp. According to the caution statement, Freeman, a pork-knocker, was promised $5000 a day by Blacks, but after three weeks passed, he was only paid $30,000. He had enquired from Blacks about his money and some time after lunch on the day in question, he bought a “piece of weed” and then saw Adams coming to the camp about 15 minutes later.
According to the caution statement, Freeman also enquired of Adams about his money, saying: “Big man, wam to me money?”
“I see he go to he waist and I didn’t know if he had a gun or wah, but I had a spoon which I sharpen and I just jook he by he neck and he fall down. After I see he ain’t moving, I get nervous,” the defendant reportedly said. He then left the scene. He also claimed that the gold he later gave a female was not taken from the deceased man, but it was gold that he had in his possession.
Presiding Judge James Bovell-Drakes adjourned the matter to Wednesday afternoon when the State’s final witness is expected to testify. Freeman is being represented by defence counsel Folio Richards.