Police Prosecutor reads depositions of missing, deceased witnesses
Agricola roadside robbery-murder
Long-time Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers late last week appeared at the Demerara High Court, where he read the depositions of three witnesses in the murder trial of Agricola native Jermaine Savory, who is accused of shooting to death Melissa Payne during the course of a robbery on November 5, 2008.
Jeffers, an Inspector of Police seconded from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers to his current post, informed the court that he was the Prosecutor
Den Amstel resident Melissa Payne was murdered nine years ago
in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) where several witnesses testified in open court. Appearing before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and the 12-member jury that was selected to hear Savory’s case, Jeffers read the deposition of deceased Police Inspector Gerald Nuienkirk, who held the Identification (ID) Parade, where Savory was positively identified. According to the evidence, Savory said to Nuienkirk: “Officer is not me do it” after the charge was put to him.
Jeffers also read the deposition of Berkley Payne, the deceased father of the victim who identified her body. He also read the deposition of Kevin Mc Ray, a former Policeman who could not be located by State Prosecutors presenting Savory’s case.
According to the case presented by the State, Savory – in the company of at least one other person, allegedly murdered Payne after the woman and her reputed husband, John Fraser, had stopped at Agricola on their way to Georgetown in an effort to correct a mechanical fault of the Toyota Canter truck, GHH 5399, in which they were travelling. Reports back then were that while Fraser was attending to the vehicle around 08:30h that morning, armed bandits approached them. Fraser managed to escape, but Payne, from Den Amstel, West Bank Demerara, was eventually shot after refusing to hand over her bag, which reportedly contained some $100,000 in cash and other valuables.
After she tried to escape with her handbag, the bandits had swiftly pursued her and opened fire; they then made off with the bag and her gold chain. Payne subsequently died while being transported to hospital.
Savory is represented by Attorney Maxwell McKay; while the Prosecutors are Mandell Moore and Orinthia Schmidt. The case continues before Justice Bovell-Drakes this morning.
