State closes case in Balo’s murder trial

The State closed its case yesterday against Petit Cafe, Princes Town mother Ira Mitchell, who is accused of murder.

Mitchell has said she will call witnesses instead of going into the witness box to testify.

Attorney Rekha Ramjit, who is defending her, said she will call Prof Hubert Daisley, who is a consultant pathologist at San Fernando General Hospital and Scarborough Hospital in Tobago. The other witness will be Marjorie Seurattan.

Mitchell is before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas and a 12-member jury in the San Fernando High Court for the January 15, 2000 murder of Balo Seurattan, 61. He was found dead in bed and the day before, the State is contending, he had executed a will in which he bequeathed his property to his nephew, Matthew Seurattan, who is Mitchell’s common-law husband.

The family all lived in the same house in Petit Cafe, where Mitchell took care of Seurattan, who was ill and bedridden.

Last week pathologist at the Forensic Science Centre Dr Hughvon Des Vignes testified that the autopsy he performed revealed that Seurattan died from a broken neck. He said the death was consistent with someone placing a hand around the neck and applying a severe degree of force.

State attorney Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal, who is prosecuting, announced to the jury that the State’s case was closed.

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"State closes case in Balo’s murder trial"

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