Accused claims he was watching football

"Taken from our C O U R T section.

A MORVANT man on trial for shooting his uncle’s wife, yesterday insisted that he was at his brother’s home at the time the woman was shot.

Seon Christian, 24, of Paradise Heights, Morvant told a nine-member jury and three alternates that on June 11, 2002 he was watching football at his brother Quasi’s home in Diego Martin, and did not learn about the shooting until three days later.

Christian is charged with shooting his uncle’s wife Natasha Lynch and is on trial before Madame Justice Alice Yorke-Soo Hon at the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court.

According to Christian, he had arrived at his brother’s home at about 4 pm on the day in question and had remained there until 10 pm. The accused man said he fell asleep at about 6 pm after he and Quasi had watched football and eaten.

He said the World Cup was on at the time and on that day they had watched the matches between France and Denmark and Germany and Cameroon.

The State is alleging that Christian had been upset about reports that his uncle and a group of men had beaten the accused man’s younger brother Garvin, and that he (Christian) had attempted to take justice into his own hands. According to the evidence given by Lynch, Christian went to his uncle’s home and when she told him his uncle was not there he whipped out a gun, pointed it at her head and pulled the trigger. When the gun did not go off, Lynch said, Christian fixed it, told her “well take what I have for your man,” shot her in the abdomen and ran off.

Christian insisted that Lynch’s story was not true, adding that he and his uncle never got along and he never went to their home. He said although he knew Lynch and his uncle lived together at Belgrave Street, Morvant, he (Christian) had only seen Lynch once. He said he knew Garvin often visited their home because he (Garvin) had a good relationship with the uncle.

The accused man denied claims by State attorney Alexander Prince that he (Christian) had given an oral statement to the police in which he had admitted to shooting Lynch.

Quasi, who also gave evidence yesterday, confirmed that his brother was with him in Diego Martin at the time of the shooting. He said Garvin, who looked like Christian, was murdered in December 2004.

Attorney Ryan Cameron appeared for Christian.

Hearing resumes on Monday.