'WE WERE FOOLING AROUND'

The alleged admission was revealed in court at Sharma’s trial yesterday. Justice Hayden St Clair Douglas is presiding over the case which is being heard in the Port-of-Spain Sixth Criminal Court.

Sharma, 49, is charged with Sookoo’s murder on October 24, 2003 at Mc Shine Street, Sangre Grande.

Sookoo was chopped about the face and body at about 3 am. She died at hospital. In a statement to police, Sharma allegedly said he and Sookoo, 40, were having domestic problems prior to the incident and on the night of October 24, he went to her home to talk with her.

“I went silently, opened the back door proceeded to the bedroom and wake her up,” he allegedly said.

Sharma’s statement was read out to the jury during the testimony of ASP Neville Sankar, who said he charged the accused man after receiving instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions during his investigation of Sookoo’s murder.

Sharma told police, according to his statement, he and Sookoo began to talk about getting back together.

“She said that her children didn’t want me going there,” he said. The couple then left the bedroom and went into the kitchen where they began “fooling around.”

“So we started fooling around like kissing and touching and thing. Then she said it was getting hot in here and proceeded to go outside,” he said.

Sharma said he followed her outside and they again began talking and “hugging each other.” Sharma put the time at “about 3 am” and told police Sookoo felt the “blade” in his waist.

He said he told her it was in the event anyone “should rush me.”

Sharma said Sookoo began fighting him for the cutlass and when he “tugged the blade away from her” she fell to the ground, screaming.

“At this time I had the blade in my hand and this is the time when whatever happen, happen.”

He said he left Sookoo on the ground screaming and he ran to Coalmine Road with the cutlass, crossed a river and went behind a mosque.

The statement was written by Sankar on Sharma’s request, the officer testified yesterday and was witnessed by Sgt Chune and Justice of the Peace George Baksh.

According to the post-mortem report, which was also admitted into evidence during Sankar’s testimony, Sookoo suffered multiple chop wounds to the left side of the face, head, back, leg, foot, arm, and wrist.

She was chopped ten times. The chop wound to the face resulted in the side of Sookoo’s face being separated from the rest of the face while the chop wounds to the head extended through the outer bone of the skull.

Sookoo’s autopsy was conducted by Dr Hughvon des Vignes who said she died of multiple chop wounds.

The cutlass, blood-soaked clothing belonging to Sookoo, her slippers and clothing allegedly belonging to Sharma were also admitted into evidence and shown to the jury.

Sankar, in earlier testimony said Sharma agreed to give the statement, which was recorded on October 25, 2003, at the Sangre Grande Police Station, where the accused was being held. The taking of the statement began at about 5 pm and ended at 6 pm. In a surprising move, defence attorney Daniel Khan chose not to cross examine Sankar, leading prosecutor Jennifer Martin to close her case for the prosecution.’

Testifying last week at the start of the trial was Sherifa Mohammed, the couple’s neighbour, who said she saw Sharma standing over Sookoo, who was on the ground.

Sharma, she said, had something in his hand.

“I though he was beating her. I tried to go outside to stop him, stop whatever he was doing,” she said.

She also testified that when she got to Sookoo “her face was hanging down. Her jaw and teeth were showing.”

Also testifying last week was Sgt Lawrence Mitchell, of the Sangre Grande Police Station, who said he went to Mc Shine Street as part of his investigation of the incident. He said he saw Sharma standing at the side of the street on Ramoutar Trace Extension.

Mitchell said he went up to Sharma, identified himself as a police officer and told him he was a suspect in a wounding incident.

“He replied,“I done do the job already and I know I have to pay the price,’ the policeman testified last week.

The defence is today expected to open its case.