Prosecution closes case in “Big Foot” murder trial

…accused maintains innocence

The High Court murder trial of Bryan “Big Foot” Leitch is likely to conclude this afternoon following Prosecutors Mandell Moore and Lisa Cave closing the State’s case on Monday.

Justice Sandhill Kisson will this morning sum up the evidence presented during the course of the trial. The jury will then deliberate to determine the accused’s innocence or guilt. The 12-member panel will consider that the accused man has maintained that he did not murder Joseph Jagdeo, the South Central hotelier whose body was found bound and gagged at his guesthouse on November 14, 2013 in Room 10.
In a brief unsworn statement from the prisoner’s dock, “Big Foot” affirmed his contention that he was innocent of the crime. “I don’t know anything about any murder; I did not kill anybody,” he declared.
This statement, which could not be cross-examined, contrasted with what Police contended, using the accused’s Caution Statement (CS) – in which Leitch allegedly said he was “sorry” for his actions – as corroboration. During one of last week’s court sessions, Police Sergeant Keith Conway, who assisted with the murder investigation, had told the jury that he had taken the accused from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Brickdam Police Station on November 30, 2013 where he put the murder allegation to him.
Conway claimed that Leitch initially responded: “I don’t know anything about any murder” which was in keeping with his denial. However, the next day, on December 1, retired Police Sergeant Phillip Bowman took the CS in Conway’s presence which differed. According to the document which Conway read out in court, Leitch had stated that on the morning in question, Jagdeo came to his room and told him to leave which angered him.
‘“I was vexed and I tell he and I tie he hand and put a cloth around he mouth and tie it, I push he under the bed and put the room key on the bed. I then go to the office and took out he cell phone; I sorry for what happen, I didn’t go to kill he’,” the excerpt from the CS had stated.
The jury will also consider the testimony of Kiana Garnett, who was staying at Pike Street, Kitty in November 2013. Garnett, who was a friend of Leitch, told the court on Monday that she was present on November 13, 2013 when Leitch asked her and Shantel DeJonge, another friend, if they wanted to buy a cellphone. The witness stated that Leitch gave the phone to DeJonge. She noted that the phone was black in colour.
“He said don’t answer if anyone called,” she recalled.
Leitch is represented by Attorneys-at-Law Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris.