Carnival murder accused takes stand

MURDER ACCUSED Murray Joseph Forde yesterday denied in the High Court that he confessed to police to the murder of mother of three, Annette Sawh. Forde, 42, a labourer, of Teak Village, Rio Claro, who is accused of stabbing Sawh 20 times in her abdomen and neck on Carnival Monday 2002, took the witness stand in his defence yesterday. Forde is on trial before Justice Prakash Moosai and a 12-member jury with two alternates in the San Fernando First Assizes.

He is defended by attorney Nizam Mohammed, instructed by Stedson Jack. The State is represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Joan Honore Paul. The accused testified that police broke down the door to his home around 4.50 am on February 19, 2002. “They used the word ‘police’ and put me to kneel down and tie my hands with a shoe lace,” Forde told the court. He said the police searched his house for “anything resembling black” although they did not read a warrant to him.

Forde testified that the police took him to the homicide office at San Fernando, where Sgt Celestine Phillip and Sgt Sudesh Singh interrogated him on five occasions over the next two days. On one occasion, Forde said he told the detectives: “They told me they investigating a murder at Tableland and they have information that I kill a woman. I told them why they interrogating me. If they have all this information why they don’t charge me and let me defend myself.” Forde testified that the police said they had a statement and wanted him to tell a Justice of the Peace that the statement was his.

The accused said he told the officers that when the JP came he would give him a statement. Forde told the jury: “When the JP talked to me and asked ‘how I looking so?’ I was squeezing my head because I was getting a pain in my head. I said: ‘Maybe I have AIDS, I don’t know.’ I was feeling depressed and stressed out.” Forde said the police agreed to his request to take him to the bank, saying they “carrying me to show me some things.”

The accused said he did not ask them what “things” they were speaking of, because he was concentrating on reaching the bank. “Because when I reach to the bank someone could notify my relative that I lock up,” Forde testified. He denied that he confessed to police: “I really kill the woman,” and that he requested to take them to Nohar Road in Tableland, where he allegedly killed her. Forde said: “The first time I remember being in that road is with Sgt Singh on February 21, 2002.” Hearing continues on Monday when the accused is expected to complete his testimony and undergo cross-examination by Paul.