‘Ninja’ sentenced to hang

Joseph, 48, of Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick was before Justice Maria Wilson in the Port of Spain Fourth Criminal court charged for shooting Stewart, 21, at Cocoa Road in Febeau Village, San Juan on September 29, 2002. A 12 member jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict.

Senior State attorney Anju Bhola prosecuted.

According to evidence, Joseph went to bathe at a spring at Laventille Road in San Juan. Stewart and a group of neighbours were already at the spring when Joseph arrived. After being told to wait his turn, Joseph became angry and started to argue with Stewart and his friends.

“Anybody that want to live better run,” Joseph said as he drew a gun from a bag he was carrying and began shooting at the group.

Stewart was shot several times while his friends managed to escape and reported the incident to police. Stewart’s friends were placed in protective custody and testified against Joseph at the trial.

They claimed to have known Joseph before the incident and were able to point him out at identification parades.

Joseph claimed he was assisting in campaigning for that year’s general election at the time of the incident. At the time of the murder, Joseph was on bail in relation to a charge that he shot at police Constables Jason Boney and Marlon Maslier at Seventh Avenue, Malick on July 24, 2001.

After passing the sentence on Joseph, Justice Wilson praised Senior Superintendent David Abraham for his comprehensive investigation which was performed while he was a Sergeant in the Homicide Bureau of Investigation