Juror causes judge to abort murder trial

Even before the Barataria murder trial involving five accused actually got started, it was aborted yesterday. Justice Rajendra Narine ordered the trial aborted and discharged the jury due to an issue which was brought to the attention of the judge concerning a particular juror. After holding an in-camera inquiry, the judge decided to discharge the jury and alternates, but not before placing a gag order on the media not to report the reasons for the abortion. Justice Narine then re-listed the matter for Monday when a fresh panel of jurors will be selected. Former Deputy Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Rangie Dolsingh, has been retained by the DPP’s department to prosecute the five men charged with the murder of Barataria handyman Roger Alexander.

The accused, Garvin Sookram, John Wayne Alleyne aka “Bumbles/Mouse,” Junior Sookram aka “Country,” Hassan Sanchez and Ronald Gaskin aka “Doom,” are expected to be re-arraigned on Monday in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court. They are accused of killing Alexander on August 19, 2000. The body of Alexander, 35, of  Eighth Avenue in Malick, Barataria, was found at the Barataria Recreation Ground. While Dolsingh SC and senior prosecutor Jeron Joseph will be prosecuting the case, ten attorneys, including Pamela Elder SC and Osbourne Charles SC, will lead the defence team. The trial was scheduled to start yesterday after the men were arraigned and a jury selected on Thursday. Sookram is being defended by Elder and Owen Hinds Jr, Alleyne by Charles and Elvis O’Connor, Sookram (J) by Sean Cazabon and Dawn Mohan, Sanchez by Keith Scotland and Nadia Astraph, and Gaskin by Margaret Rose and Richard Mason.