Man freed of double murder charge

A man charged with the 2010 murder of a father and his son has been freed.

Shane Elias was on January 30, acquitted by a High Court judge of the murder of Evans Butler, 54, and his son Jason Pamponette on June 21, 2010.

Elias was before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds at a judge-only trial. On Tuesday, the judge gave her verdict.

As she analysed the prosecution’s evidence, Ramsumar-Hinds said there were discrepancies with the testimony of witnesses, including Butler’s wife and Jason’s mother Theresa Pamponette, who gave evidence at the trial at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain.

Some of the inconsistencies involved identification evidence given by Pamponette. The judge said her testimony which implicated Elias, who was 17 when he was charged, was “unreliable.”

It was also because of glaring lapses in Pamponette’s evidence that led the judge to rule that the prosecution had not discharged its burden of proving Elias was one of the men who stormed the family’s home in Wallerfield, shooting Butler after tying him up, and setting the house on fire. Jason died days later at hospital. He had been shot in the leg after gunmen sprayed bullets on the family. Butler died on the spot. Pamponette managed to escape the blazing house, dragging her son out as well.

“You entered adulthood while on remand,” the judge told Elias after freeing him of the two murders.

“Walk the straight and narrow path.”

She told him now that he had been acquitted, he had “nothing on his record” and needed to “reset” his life.

“You are leaving (prison) with an almost good record, be circumspect and think of the consequences of what you do.”

Elias was represented by attorneys Wayne Sturge and Danielle Rampersad. Charmaine Samuel represented the State.