Morvant man in court for another murder

EXACTLY two weeks after a Morvant man was committed to stand trial for murder,  another murder inquiry, in which he is the accused, has started. The first State witness against Elton Davis, 23, of John Street, Pelican Extension, Morvant was yesterday called to give evidence at the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court. Davis was charged with the February 9, 2003 murder of 35-year-old James Larode, of Whitney Street, off Pashley Street, Laventille. He was also charged with shooting Larode’s common-law-wife, Natalie Duncan, with the intent to murder her. Larode was allegedly gunned down in a hail of bullets while walking along Pashley Street, Laventille, with Duncan. Davis was charged by Sgt McIntyre of the Besson Street Police Station.

The witness, PC Herbert Larode, attached to the Firearm Interdiction Unit, is the brother of the deceased. On February 18 Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls had ruled that a prima facie case had been made out against Davis and he was committed to stand trial at the next sitting of the Assizes for the May 30, 2003 murders of Kirt Rosal and Julien De Gannes. Rosal, 23, and De Gannes, 24, were among a group of men who were allegedly gambling in Trou Macaque, Laventille, when gunmen opened fire on them. Rosal and De Gannes were hit and died on arrival at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Police prosecutor acting Insp Kenneth Cordner informed McNicolls that Davis’ file had been completed and had been submitted to the DPP’s office. As a result, a State attorney is expected to be assigned to prosecute in the inquiry when it is next heard on March 12.