Christmas Day 2000 murder: Nephew to hang for killing uncle

KEVON NURSE, 25, of  Leon Street, Success Village, Laventille, was yesterday sentenced to hang for killing his uncle, Lester Ash, on Christmas Day, 2000. Justice Paula Mae Weekes imposed the death sentence on Nurse after a 12-member jury found him guilty of murder. Nurse was charged with shooting to death his 35-year-old uncle Ash, a steelpan tuner and tailor, at Ash’s apartment at Building One, Leon Street, Success Village, Laventille, on December 25, 2000. Both Nurse and Ash lived in the same building. The jury  of six men and six women deliberated for an hour and half before returning to the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court with the guilty verdict. Justice Weekes then asked Nurse if there was anything he wished to say before passing sentence, but Nurse remained silent. She then read the death sentence to Nurse stating; “The jury has found you guilty as charged, the sentence of this court is that you be taken from this place to a lawful prison and thence to a place of execution and that you suffer death by hanging and may God have mercy on your soul.” Nurse remained calm and silent as he was removed from the courtroom. The State’s main witness 15-year-old schoolgirl Aneka Shockness gave evidence stating that at 1.45 pm on the day of the murder, she saw Nurse place a green plaid mask on his face and walk into his uncle’s apartment. She said a few seconds later she heard five to six explosions that sounded like gunshots.

She said she went into her apartment, spoke to her mother for a few minutes, and came back outside. A minute later she saw someone wearing the same clothes and mask as Nurse, leave Ash’s apartment. She said she did not see Nurse later that day. Attorney Wayne Rajbansee prosecuted in the trial for the State. The court also visited the scene of the crime last Friday following the requests of Nurse’s attorneys Mario Merritt and Richard Mason. There they were shown Ash’s apartment and witnesses gave evidence indicating the locations where they saw the masked man. Nurse who had given evidence in his defence at the trial said he had gotten into a scuffle at 8 am that day with his uncle, after which he went to receive medical attention. He admitted to lying before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in his preliminary inquiry. He had initially told the magistrate that he was staying at a mosque in Mucurapo headed by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr. However, at his trial he said he did not stay at the mosque, but was at his girlfriend’s house from December 26 to 29.