Accused slams judge over jury

A MORUGA man who was charged with murder but was found guilty of manslaughter yesterday accused the trial judge of forcing the jury to arrive at that verdict.

Seconds after trial judge Justice Ian Stuart Brook sentenced Sheldon La Fortune, 31, to ten years in jail for the crime the man told the San Fernando High Court that he intends to appeal his sentence.

La Fortune said: “I am appealing the sentence. This is unfair. I was re-indicted for murder. I wasn’t getting no verdict all the time. You (Brook) hurry down the jury and force them to do that (come to a verdict).”

La Fortune was charged with the 1999 murder of Hendrickson McKenzie, 41,of Basse Terre Village, Moruga, who was chopped by La Fortune following an altercation in a whappie room at a recreation club in Moruga.

But La Fortune was found guilty of manslaughter after the 12-member jury failed to agree on a charge of murder. This happened only after the jury had deliberated for the maximum three hours and had to return to the courtroom.

Brook then inquired from the foreman whether they had reached a verdict of murder or manslaughter.

The foreman said “No” to the count of murder and manslaughter. The foreman then via a note asked the judge for further directions on issues of self defence, manslaughter and murder.

The judge gave the directions and the jury was sent back to deliberate. An hour later the jury returned to the courtroom but still did not reach a unanimous decision on both counts of murder and manslaughter.

Brook then indicated that he was discharging the jury from deliberation on the count of murder. The judge inquired how they were divided on the count of manslaughter to which the foreman replied seven/five.

The judge then inquired from the foreman that if given additional time whether they will be able to come to a verdict on the count of manslaughter. The foreman replied: “Hopefully. We will.”

After a half-an-hour and the jury did not come out, Brook decided to give them a further half-an-hour.

But the jury came out about ten minutes later with a unanimous manslaughter verdict.

Brook then sentenced La Fortune to ten years hard labour. It was at this point that La Fortune accused the judge of forcing the jury to come to a verdict.

State prosecutor Aden Stroude had led evidence that around 2 am on December 4, 1999, La Fortune and McKenzie, 41, had an altercation in a whappie room in which Mc Kenzie locked La Fortune’s neck and put him outside the club. The prosecution case was that La Fortune went to an abandoned house where he stayed for several minutes. La Fortune then went home where he changed his clothing and returned to the abandoned house.

The jury heard evidence that La Fortune approached Mc Kenzie from the back and chopped him on his hand.

McKenzie died at the San Fernando General Hospital.

La Fortune, who was represented by attorney Nizam Moham-med, instructed by Anuusha Panday, claimed that he only wanted to planass McKenzie and not chop him.