Rio Claro accused to know fate today

Twenty-five-year-old murder accused David Donald will know his fate today, after the 12-person mixed jury in the San Fernando High Court completes its deliberations. Trial judge Herbert Volney began hearing evidence in the murder of taxi driver Ramesh Seelochan nine days ago. Donald, of Pascal Road, Brother’s Road, Rio Claro, is on trial for shooting Seelochan. Seelochan, of Watts Road, Brother’s Road, Rio Claro, was shot in the head. His body was found in a forest in Tabaquite on August 12, 2002. The jury heard evidence that his car, which he plied for hire on the Princes Town/Brother’s Road route, was found burnt by police at Saunders Trace, Cats Hill, Moruga.  

The State’s main witness, Willis Romeo, testified that on August 8 2002, he and Donald had hijacked Seelochan’s taxi. Romeo said Donald was armed with a homemade shotgun when they took Seelochan into a teak field in Tabaquite, where they tied him up and robbed him of $260. Romeo also testified that as he was walking out of the teak field, he heard an explosion. He turned around and saw Donald slumped to the ground. Yesterday, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul delivered the State’s closing address. She told the jury Donald was the leader and Romeo was the follower in the incident.

The prosecutor pointed out that Donald was the one with the gun while Romeo ran out of the bush. “What David Donald did not count on is that Romeo did not have the ‘belly’ to do this thing. Romeo is the one who called the police because he couldn’t take it. David Donald did not think Romeo would sell him out because he (Donald) made him (Romeo) a party to it. But Romeo couldn’t take it.” The State prosecutor recalled the evidence of ballistics expert Derrick Sanker, who said a degree of force must have been used to trigger off the gun. “This is a perfectly working gun,” Honore-Paul said, holding up the homemade shot gun in her hand. Honore-Paul reminded jurors that Donald attempted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter last Friday — a plea which was not accepted by the State. “David Donald is trying to pappy-show us. Somewhere in the middle of the trial he tried to plead guilty. He tried to take the middle ground, but the State had indicted him for murder and that is not by accident.”