Witness: Teen identified suspect as she died

THE country’s second judge-alone trial yesterday saw the State and defence closing a murder trial in which a boy was accused of stabbing to death a 17-year-old girl when he was 14.

Justice Gillian Lucky is presiding in the trial of Nicholas Rampersad, now 24, of Montique Street, Marabella. He is charged with the June 27, 2009 murder of Nabisha Chrystal Bedaysee.

The State’s case, led by senior state attorney Trevor Jones, is that Rampersad stabbed Bedaysee in the neck. Before she lost consciousness, she was asked who did it. Jones told Lucky Bedaysee had been staying at the home of Sookrani Rampersad, who is Rampersad’s mother. The teenage girl lived a few houses away and was the mother of a baby.

Sometime before 8.30 pm, Sookrani left the house. A man named Gregory Harrison, who was at a mas camp opposite the house, left to go to his car to light a cigarette. He saw Bedaysee run out and heard her screaming.

Jones said Bedaysee collapsed in front of the car. Harrison called out to people, then asked for a towel.

People gathered, the prosecutor said, while Harrison applied pressure on the wound.

Lucky heard from Jones that as Bedaysee lay on the ground, a woman in the crowd, asked, “Who do this to you....Nicholas?” The girl nodded.

On Wednesday, attorney Rekha Ramjit presented Rampersad from the dock to the witness box to give evidence. Jones cross-examined him.

On Thursday Jones will address the jury and Ramjit as well when the trial continues in the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain.

Lucky will deliver a written verdict.