Accused visited girlfriend before returning to dump body

A gunman ordered a crowd liming at a shop in Barataria to “ride out” before he shot a man called “One Arm” four times in the back. He then took a bath, visited his girlfriend at Trincity and returned to the scene some two hours later, to remove the dead body. This evidence was contained in a statement given to the police by John Wayne Alleyne, one of five men charged with the murder of Roger Alexander aka “One Arm,” on August 19, 2000 at Small Street, Barataria. Alleyne aka “Bumbles,” Garvin Sookram aka “Bean,”  Junior Sookram aka “Country,” Hassan Sanchez and Ronald Gaskin aka “Doom,” are before Justice Rajendra Narine in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court, charged with the murder of Alexander.

A sixth man, Kerry Joseph, was granted immunity by the DPP for his testimony against the others. Former deputy DPP Rangee Dolsingh SC is prosecuting, together with senior prosecutor Jeron Joseph. A statement given by Alleyne to Cpl Ancil Jacob, was admitted into evidence yesterday and read to the jury. According to the statement, Alleyne said he was liming with some members of his family, who are Garvin Sookram, Junior Commissiong, Hassan Sanchez, Kerry Joseph and Sherwin Cummings, and friends, at Saw Mill Avenue in Barataria on the night of August 19, 2000. About 8.30 pm, Garvin and Junior walked to the back, towards Small Street... There was a loud explosion like a gunshot. Garvin and Junior came back to where they were liming and Garvin announced, “someone just shoot at me.”

He invited the others: “Let us go back to Small Street to see who fired that shot.” Garvin, Junior, Kerry, Ronald and Hassan, went back to Small Street. Alleyne followed shortly after. Alleyne said he  saw Garvin arguing with One Arm and Anderson alias “Speedie.” He was asking, ‘who shot at me when I pass just now?’ Nobody claimed to know the answer. Garvin then walked up to One Arm with his gun in his hand and said to One Arm again: “Who shoot at me just now when I pass here?” One Arm replied, “I am not in all yuh business. I just come to get something. Anderson replied, “Boy all of us was standing here. Me eh see nobody shoot at you.” Alleyne recalled also seeing Junior with a gun in his hand while the others were looking on.

Earlier in the trial, Komo George, a State witness, testified that he too was liming and when he saw Sookram for the first time that evening, the gun he (George) had in his pocket, accidentally went off. After “One Arm” and Anderson denied having knowledge about the shooting, Garvin said:  “Everybody ride out, break up the liming.” Alleyne’s statement continued: “Everybody then began to split up. Shortly after, I heard about five loud explosions.” Alleyne said he returned to where he was liming and was joined by the others. Garvin, he said, “then went and bathe and then tell me to come and take him to Trincity to check Melissa, his girlfriend.” After visiting Garvin’s girlfriend Melissa, they returned to Saw Mill Avenue. Alleyne told how they wrapped the body in a plastic bag and sheet, placed it in his car and dumped it in the  Barataria Savannah near the community centre. He later washed the trunk of his rented car which had some blood stains.