Tunapuna man freed of 2009 murder

A TUNAPUNA man who spent 15 years on remand for a murder in 2009 has been freed after a High Court judge found major inconsistencies with the prosecution’s evidence.

On April 9, Justice Gail Gonzales acquitted Linden Roberts as she delivered her verdict at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain.

Roberts was before the judge in a judge-only trial for the murder of Lloyd George, who was shot and killed on March 21, 2009, at O’Keefe Street, Tunapuna.

Minutes after his acquittal, Roberts, in an interview, was critical of the police.

“The police are too vindictive and wicked.”

He called for changes in the law before serious charges are laid.

“It is too easy to be charged with a crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

“All a person has to do is walk into a station and say, ‘He did that.’ That’s it.

“Sixteen years later, now I am free.”

He heaped praises on his defence attorneys Larry Williams and public defender Shawn Morris.

“If it was not for them, what would have happened to me? I would have end up in the condemned (section of prison)...”

At the trial before Gonzales, Roberts was named by the State’s main witness as the shooter. The witness was the driver of a vehicle which was around the corner from where the shooting took place. He claimed he drove Roberts to the area and before Roberts returned to the car, he heard gunshots.

After giving police his statement, the witness left Trinidad and has not returned. Roberts’ attorneys argued that his statement was not supported by any of the prosecution’s other evidence and also contained major inconsistencies.

Gonzales agreed. In her ruling, she said the State failed to convince her of Roberts’ guilt.

She also held that the witness had a motive to lie to absolve himself and put the blame on someone else.