Judge orders end to trial

A SAN Fernando judge yesterday ordered the end of a trial after the judge agreed with the defence lawyer’s submission that State witnesses had given contradictory evidence. As a result, 59-year-old Glen Rampersad of Erin, who faced the court charged with four shooting offences, walked out of the San Fernando Assizes a free man. Trial judge Rajendra Narine told the jury he agreed with defence attorney Roger Ramgoolam, who submitted that there were material contradictions in the testimonies of the two victims in the case. As such, Justice Narine told the nine-member mixed jury he would not let the matter go any further and instructed the foreman to return verdicts of “not guilty” in favour of the accused.

Rampersad was on trial in the Second Criminal Court on two counts of shooting with intent at Theophilus Chase and Aldwyn Job with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. Rampersad is alleged to have committed the offences on April 24 2001 at Spring Trace in Buenos Ayres, Erin. Job and Chase said they were walking to work when they saw Rampersad. Job testified that Chase tried to alert him that Rampersad had a gun, but Chase denied that he had called out to Job.  Job said he did not have any previous altercations with Rampersad, but later admitted that there were previous incidents between them. The State’s case was presented by State attorney Narissa Ramsundar.