Dead man tells a tale

THE DEFENCE yesterday closed its case in the murder trial of a Petit Valley man, after the testimony of his mother. Marlene Ali, of 61 Morne Coco Road in Petit Valley, whose son Aaron Ali is on trial for murder, was called as a witness to identify her husband’s signature before an edited version of his deposition was tendered into evidence.

Her husband, 50-year-old Michael “Red Mike” Ali, had given evidence for the defence during the preliminary inquiry into the murder at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. He died on June 7, 2004 — a mere seven months before the start of his son’s trial. Twenty-seven-year-old Aaron, a vegetable vendor, is before Justice Anthony Carmona charged with the June 28 2002 murder of Marlon “Fygee” John at Roots Corner, Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley. John was allegedly shot by Aaron with a homemade 16-gauge shotgun. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Community Seventh Day Hospital.

According to the “Red Mike’s” deposition, he was waiting for transport with his ten-year-old daughter, when he saw Aaron approaching. When Aaron got to the steps leading from a nearby river, John pulled a handkerchief containing a knife out of his back pocket. Aaron ran and was pursued by John. As he ran, Aaron grabbed something from a box he was carrying and turned around to face John. The deposition revealed that as Aaron turned, he stepped back and almost fell on the box. “Red Mike” heard an explosion and when he went across to the area, he saw John lying on the ground. A friend of John known as Ray picked up the knife and two “ten-piece.” The deposition said John sold drugs and had stabbed a man at the same corner some time ago. State attorney Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo and defence attorney Nathaniel King are expected to address the jury today.