Berbice criminal assizes
Stafford Harry, called ‘Bilall’, of Lot 40 New Market Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, accused of murdering New Amsterdam Market vendor Hansraj Samaroo, called ‘Watermelon Man’, of Hampshire Village, Corentyne, was on Monday found guilty as charged by a mixed jury at the Berbice High Court.
Harry is reported to have committed this act of murder between March 27 and 28, 2010 during the commission of a robbery.
The state’s case, presented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, was that the accused, while in the company of others, robbed Samaroo at his home.
The vendor’s wife, Kumarie Samaroo, who was present at home during the robbery, told the court during the trial that she and her husband had returned from the market on that fateful day at about 17:00h. Shortly thereafter, they were attacked by masked men, who ordered her to take off her jewellery.
She said she refused to comply with this request, and started to scream for her husband, who was in the upper flat.
The accused, whom she identified as “Bilall,’ rushed towards the upper flat, and a gunshot was heard soon after.
As she ran upstairs, she saw her husband standing in front of the accused, who was armed with a gun. Her husband was at the time bleeding, and he reportedly died while receiving medical attention.
Attorney-at- Law Sasha Robertson, who represented the accused, had told the court that Harry was not in the country at the time of the robbery.
Harry, in a sworn statement, claimed he was in Suriname working with his brother. Roberts arguing that the post-mortem results did not indicate that the victim died as a result of a gunshot wound, but rather shock and haemorrhage due to a lacerated artery.
After the jury had given its guilty verdict, Harry was reduced to tears. Justice Brassington Reynolds has ordered that a probation report be compiled on Harry, who will have to return to court on July 3 for sentencing.
