Prosecution closes case, “Smallie” says “doesn’t know” about “Mango Man” murder

A verdict will soon be handed down for Mark Royden “Smallie” Williams and Sherwin Nero called “Catty” in the August 30, 2007, Kumar Singh “Mango Man” murder case after the prosecution and defence closed their cases on Monday. “Smallie” took the stand and recounted a story in which he implicated Inspector Suraj Singh and other ranks of torturing him. He told the jury that upon his 2008 arrest, he was handcuffed, beaten and shocked into signing the police caution statement which he claimed was not freely given.

Mark Royden “Smallie” Williams and Sherwin Nero called “Catty” denied committing the murder

“They shock me up; handcuff meh hand; they start beating me up and I keep telling them: ‘I don’t know about these things’,” he claimed.
He said on the second day of interrogation the ranks took him to the Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown where he said he continued to deny having knowledge of the robbery/murder.
He said Inspector Singh told him that if he signed the paper, the things being done to him would stop.
“The next day, they handcuff me to a post, beat me again [while] shocking me and Inspector Singh told me: ‘If you sign this paper, these things will stop’,” Williams added.
“They throw a substance in me mouth, I didn’t know what it was – I keep spitting it out…then they carry me to Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where they remand me to prison,” the accused killer further detailed.

Prosecutor Tamika Clarke and Attorney for the co-defendants Nigel Hughes will both try to convince the jury to return a verdict in favour of either the State or the defence on Tuesday when closing addresses are presented before Justice James Bovell-Drakes.
Last week, the jury heard that an ex-Police rank transported the duo from Kumar Singh’s Cove and John, East Coast Demerara home via horse cart which the defence views as implausible. Singh was killed after gunmen stormed his premises and allegedly made off with cash and jewellery while his relatives were visiting from Suriname.

Deceased: Kumar Singh called “Mango Man”

During the testimonies of Singh’s wife and daughter, it was explained that the bandits fired several shots when the family home was invaded. Indroutie Singh, the wife, told the jury that her Surinamese relatives were drinking a few shots of rum on the night of the attack when she suddenly heard a gunshot, and someone said: “Pass what y’all get.” She had recalled being in the lower flat of their two-storied home when she reportedly saw two men standing in front of her sister-in-law’s husband and her own husband whom she claimed was wearing several gold rings at the time. When the gunmen left, they made off with those very rings, the woman had observed last week.
Their daughter, Deoranie Singh, who had testified to hearing “terrible gunshots” detailed that the bandits asked for jewellery and the $7 million the family was keeping. “We keep telling them ‘no, we don’t have money’ and they keep insisting that ‘yes we have it’.”
She said their wardrobe upstairs was shot at and a male had lashed her causing her nose to bleed. It was after the men fled that she ran to her father, held him and screamed. The testimonies of these witnesses did not face cross-examination.