Witness denies luring enemies to their death

Maxwell, of Extension Road, Morvant, is before Justice Prakash Moosai in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court charged with the murder of 19-year-old Darryl Lewis. Maxwell is alleged to have shot Lewis several times at the home of Sumatie Singh on Calvary Hill, Morvant, on August 24, 2004.

Maxwell is being represented by attorneys Wayne Sturge and Leon Gokool, while senior prosecutor Jeron Joseph and Debby Ann Bassaw are prosecuting.

Singh, 16, who said she witnessed the shooting and admitted to hanging out with gangsters, denied on Monday of having any knowledge of a gang war between Muslims and non-Muslims in Morvant, and also denied that her role was to lure the enemies of Morvant to be killed. She denied these assertions, which were made by Sturge. Singh said she did not immediately identify Maxwell as the shooter because she was afraid, but did so later on the night of August 24.

The 12-member jury heard that Singh was taken to Barataria Police Station by Cpl Balbosa, where she saw the accused alone in a room and identified him as the killer. She did not attend an identification parade. She said she knew Maxwell before the shooting.

She did not immediately report the shooting to the police, but waited on her common-law husband Nigel Mitchell, aka ET, a URP/NHA worker. She admitted that Mitchell associated with gangsters and had pleaded guilty to a gun charge.

Asked by Sturge if she loved ET, Singh said yes, but disagreed with Sturge’s assertion that she would do anything to protect him, or lie or cover-up for him. Answering Sturge again, she said ET meant extra-talented and not extra-tall or extraterrestrial. Sturge also wanted to know what part Singh played and if her role was to befriend the enemies and lure them into a trap in Morvant to be killed. She firmly denied the suggestion.

Answering Sturge’s questions, Singh said she did not know that the accused was not a Muslim but a Nazareen, and that he was not known in the Morvant area.

Under further cross-examination, Singh also said that the police did not take her back to the murder scene nor did she point out a spot to the police photographer.

Hearing continues today.