‘He felt he had licence to kill’

“HE felt he had a licence to kill.”

This was the description given by State prosecutor Joy Balkaran of 44-year-old security guard Curt Melville who is on trial for the murder of 19-year-old Webster Damone Sutherland on December 31, 2004, outside the People’s Bar near Five Rivers Junction, Arouca.

Sutherland died seven days later at hospital.

In her opening address to the jury, Balkaran said the teenager and his friends were liming at the bar when Melville shot him in the head.

She said Melville, an estate sergeant with SWAT security firm, had no authority to “rub down” Sutherland and his friends.

“They (security guards) are not police. They have no right to rub down anyone.”

Balkaran said the security guard held on to Sutherland and held him in a choke hold, took out his service pistol and shot him in the head.

She also said Melville accused the teenager of pelting bottles at him.

As she urged the jury panel of 11 women and one man, and three alternates, to use their logic, Balkaran said Sutherland acted “illegally and unlawfully” that day. “They can assist to restrain someone but they have no authority outside of where they are working or posted.”

“What reason he had to shoot this young man? He had absolutely no reason... He felt he had a licence to kill,” the prosecutor said.

Testifying at the trial in the Port of Spain Fourth Criminal Court yesterday was police photographer acting ASP Kissoon Badloo.

Four photographs he took of the crime scene and of a pistol and two magazines were tendered into evidence during his testimony.

The trial, over which Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas is presiding, will resume on Monday.

Senior Counsel Pamela Elder is representing Melville.