Belmont man to stand trial for Aleong’s murder

A Belmont man is to stand trial at the next sitting of the Assizes for the murder of businessman Christopher Aleong. Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls yesterday ruled that a prima facie case had been made out against Rudy Nelson. Nelson’s attorney Peter Taylor had earlier made a no-case submission on behalf of his client, saying confessions and admissions to the crime brought by the State were involuntary. Taylor also said his client was being made a scapegoat, as several persons called by the State to testify   against the accused were not able to identify Nelson as the man at the scene of the crime. “The accused who sits here could not have been a part of this crime.

I am very surprised at the quality of the State’s case. A prima facie case has not been made out,” Taylor said. Following the defence’s no-case submission, attorney representing the State, Candia James, dismissed Taylor’s submissions saying he failed to cite several pertinent issues which were often entailed in no-case submissions. James then outlined several of the State’s findings which were incriminating to the accused. “The State has put forward confessions from the accused and oral admissions to the crime. It was also revealed that the accused took the complainant to the scene of the crime. On that evidence alone, a prima facie case has been made out.

The court must commit the accused to stand trial for the offence,” James said. After listening to the arguments of both sides, Mc Nicolls informed Taylor that his decision was to commit Nelson to stand trial for the murder of the businessman. “The State has led sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the accused,” McNicolls said. Aleong, a 68-year-old businessman, was shot dead while driving his car out of his Petit Valley home on December 2, 2003.  Following intense investigations into the high profile murder, Nelson was arrested and charged by Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag.