Carenage man killed by bullet to head

The State closed its case after pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes testified about the post-mortem he conducted on Lewis’ body.

He told the court that Lewis had been shot three times — once in the head and twice in the body.

The shot to the head was the fatal one, he said, as it fractured his skull and caused damage to the brain.

He said the fatal bullet entered the right side of Lewis’ nose and was lodged at the back of his head in a slightly sloping position.

The other two bullets entered the deceased’s hands.

He sustained these wounds while raising his hands in a defensive or blocking position. He noted that when the shooter discharged the firearm, it would have been level with the deceased’s eyes, and the bullet travelled in an almost straight trajectory.

He estimated that the muzzle of the gun would have been about a yard or more from Lewis.

However, he could not say if the shooter was taller or shorter than Lewis.

Under cross-examination by defence attorney Leon Gokool about the trajectory of the bullet, des Vignes said it came "from slightly above for it to be lodged where it was."

After des Vignes’ testimony, senior State prosecutor Jeron Joseph and Debby Ann Bassaw closed the State’s case, as they had no more witnesses to call.

Maxwell, 18, is before Justice Prakash Moosai in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court.

He is accused of shooting Lewis, 19, of Carenage, on August 21, 2004.

Attorneys Gokool and Wayne Sturge are defending Maxwell.

Hearing continues today.