‘Boss, I eh chop nobody’

UPDATE:

THE first fast-track trial began in the Port of Spain High Court on Friday, and is expected to be completed before the end of the week.
On trial before Justice Gillian Lucky, who led the initiative, is Steven “Powers” Samaroo, of 7 1/4 mile mark, Plum Mitan, Biche.

He is accused of chopping fellow Biche villager Bisham Ramoutar in the early hours of August 7, 2005.
Ramoutar, who testified on Friday, was at a wedding when Samaroo, who was also at the event, allegedly threatened to chop another man for money he was owed, when Ramoutar was chopped on the wrist. He returned briefly yesterday to give further evidence, at the request of the prosecution.

Also testifying was PC Durant Nieves, who was assigned to Biche Police Station, and was posted at the wedding. The policeman said at about 3.10 am on August 7, 2005, he saw a group of people fighting on the road about 40 feet from the wedding reception area.
He and another officer went towards the group, and he saw two men lying in the road. One he recognised as Samaroo, while the other man was bleeding from the wrist.
Samaroo, he said, had a cutlass in his right hand.

As he approached the bleeding man, he said, Samaroo ran off with the cutlass. Nieves also said Ramoutar told him Powers had chopped him.
On their way to take the injured man to hospital, Nieves said they came across another group of people involved in a brawl, some 300 metres away. The policeman said he saw Samaroo again and as the police vehicle approached, the group ran off in different directions.
Nieves ran after Samaroo into a nearby rice field and eventually held him, taking away the cutlass.

At the time, he said Samaroo was wearing only green underwear.
The policeman said he cautioned Samaroo, who told him: “Boss, I eh chop nobody. I had to run for my life.”
Samaroo had injuries to his shoulder, legs and body. He and Ramoutar were taken to hospital.
During his cross-examination of Nieves, defence attorney Fulton Wilson raised several inconsistencies between the policeman’s testimony at the magisterial proceedings and his testimony at the trial.

However, these were countered in re-examination by prosecutor Joy Balkaran, who asked Nieves if he had been allowed to refresh his memory using his entries in the station diary, made shortly after the incident.

Nieves was allowed to point to several entries he made relating to the questions posed by Wilson. The questions were about his saying previously that he did not testify at the inquiry that he saw Samaroo run off twice, or that he took possession of the cutlass, or that he took a report from the victim.
The trial continues today.

The aim of the fast-track court is to ensure that matters that can be tried within a short period are heard and determined. Only cases in which attorneys and their clients are ready to proceed have been or will be listed for the fast-track courts.
There are similar sittings in the San Fernando and Tobago High Courts, and judges have been rostered and cases listed for hearing during the court’s “long vacation” period.
Those listed are non-capital matters which have not more than two accused and which can be determined in three-five days. The initiative is also aimed at reducing the backlog of cases in the system.

ORIGINAL STORY:

THE first fast-track court trial began in the Port of Spain High Court on Friday, and is expected to be completed before the end of the week.

On trial before Justice Gillian Lucky, who spearheaded the initiative, is Steven “Powers” Samaroo, of 7 1/4 mile mark, Plum Mitan, Biche.

He is accused of chopping fellow Biche villager Bisham Ramoutar in the early hours of August 6, 2005.

The trial continues today.

The aim of the fast track court is to ensure that matters that can be tried within a short period of time are heard and determined. Only matters in which attorneys and their clients are ready to proceed have been or will be listed for the fast track courts.

There are similar sittings in the San Fernando and Tobago High Courts and judges have been rostered and matters are being listed for hearing during the court’s 'long vacation period'.

The cases listed for hearing are non-capital matters which have not more than two accused persons and which are able to be determined in a 3 to 5-day period.

The initiative is also aimed at reducing the backlog of cases in the system.