Laventille man goes on trial for murder

A 30-year-old Laventille man went on trial yesterday for the fatal shooting of a Belmont man as he lay sleeping in his bed. Shondell Riley, of Rose Hill, East Dry River, is before Madame Justice Alice Yorke Soo Hon in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court charged with the murder of Jamal “Brother” Joseph. In outlining the State’s case, prosecutor Cheron Raphael told the jury Joseph was at his aunt Petra’s home at Gonzales Terrace, Belmont, around 8 pm on April 17, 2003. His aunt and cousins Shareefa and Shiminka went to bed and Jamal retired some time later. At around 3 am the next morning, Jamal’s sister Farlon, who lived in an adjoining apartment, heard voices and footsteps outside her apartment. She then heard voices calling out from her aunt’s yard.

She saw two men approach her door and look inside her apartment. She saw their faces clearly and identified one of them as a man she knew as “Scabby.” Farlon saw the men walk towards her aunt’s apartment and she heard the door being ripped open. The noises awakened Petra, who began screaming as the men entered the apartment. Petra heard an explosion and saw something like fire hitting Jamal in the chest. She heard more explosions and saw her nephew’s hand fall against the wall. She then heard running outside the building. Hearing the explosions, Shareefa got off her bed and went to the window. She felt a burning sensation on her hand and abdomen and when she looked at the areas she realised she was bleeding.

Both Jamal and Shareefa were taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where she remained warded for two weeks. Jamal was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Sultan “Beeps” King, one of the four witnesses to give evidence yesterday, told the court he was at the house sleeping when the shooting took place. He said when he heard the explosions he opened the door to go outside, but changed his mind. Instead, he said, he sat on the bed until the explosions had stopped and then went to the front room where he saw Jamal lying on the bed. He helped to carry him to a waiting taxi. Riley is being represented by attorney Wayne Sturge. Hearing resumes today.