La Brea man freed of 2016 murder

A La Brea man, who was charged with a 2016 murder, has been freed by a senior magistrate who, on Thursday, upheld a no-case submission by the man’s lawyer.

Dike Williams was freed by senior magistrate Rajendra Rambachan who presided over his preliminary inquiry in the First Court.

Williams was charged with the murder of Dareem Payne on March 15, 2016, at Marshall Street, La Brea.

Payne, 24, of Cassava Alley, Three Hands, La Brea, died at the Point Fortin hospital while undergoing treatment for gunshot wounds.

Police had said he was walking along an alley when he had a dispute with a man who shot him in the chest and abdomen.

Payne was said to have been a suspect in the murder of a man who was shot in January that year at Railway Road, La Brea.

Rambachan upheld the no-case submission by defence attorney Lyndon Leu who argued that the prosecution’s evidence was manifestly unreliable.

At the inquiry, three of the State’s witnesses were deemed hostile as their testimony in court differed from what they gave the police, while other witnesses could not be found and the State bolstered its case with circumstantial evidence.

Leu argued that the evidence of the three hostile witnesses could not be believed evidence although the prosecution argued that at the preliminary inquiry stage, all the magistrate had to determine was whether there was evidence, if believed by a jury, can lead to a conviction.

Leu also argued that the statements of the two witnesses who couldn’t be found also should not have be admitted and urged the magistrate not to consider it since their evidence, even in their statements was weak, and their statements could not be tested in cross-examination.

He also said additionally the circumstantial evidence which the State relied on was also weak and all together the prosecution failed to make out a prima facie case against his client.

According to his submissions, Leu argued there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence nor any other form of scientific evidence presented by the State that could result in a case being made out against his client.

He also submitted that the alleged murder weapon was never found.

In his ruling, Rambachan agreed with the defence and found that a case had not been made out against Williams.

The State was represented by prosecutors Kimberly Gunness and Brandon Sookoo.