Preysal man pleads guilty to canefield killing

MURDER accused, Zahid Mohammed, who is currently on trial in the San Fernando High Court for slitting the throat of a man in a Couva canefield three years ago, yesterday pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The plea by Mohammed on the lesser count before Justice Herbert Volney for the September 21 2001 killing of Narad Ramroop, will either be accepted or rejected by the State, when hearing resumes this morning. After Mohammed’s plea, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul, told the judge that she needed to consult with Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson.

Mohammed, of Nasir Trace in Preysal, has been on trial for the past three weeks. Ramroop’s body was found with his throat slit in a canefield. His vehicle was discovered abandoned near the Rudrinath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre in Couva. Honore-Paul closed the prosecution’s case yesterday after recalling the police complainant in the case, Insp Fitzgerald George, to the witness stand. The prosecution called 12 witnesses to testify. Before clerk of the court called on Mohammed to make his defence, Mohammed’s attorney, Chateram Sinanan, asked Justice Volney for the accused to be re-arraigned.