Dead Fyzabad woman ‘testifies’ in murdered son’s trial

ALTHOUGH the mother of a Fyzabad murder victim, 36, died before the matter reached trial at the High Court, she remained listed as a state witness, and the two statements she gave to police nine years ago were used as her evidence.

Pensioner Brenda Gloud, 65, was the State’s 16th and final witness on September 4 at the virtual trial before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds and a jury in the Trinidad South District Court in Princes Town.

Gloud’s son, Rodney Gloud, also called Rodney Diaz, was shot in her yard at Delhi Road, Fyzabad, around 4.15 pm on April 29, 2015.

He died shortly afterwards at the Siparia District Health Facility.

A fellow villager, Makesi “Kid” Felix, 36, is on trial charged with Gloud’s murder.

The victim worked as a hustler and lived in a house behind his mother’s home.

Before reading Gloud’s statements on September 4, the judge informed the jury that the evidence differed from viva voce (evidence given by a witness verbally) and formal admission (evidence read by a witness absent from a hearing).

Ramsumair-Hinds said Gloud’s evidence did not fit squarely into either category.

The two statements were dated April 29 and 30, 2015, and signed by Gloud.

Gloud told the police that she was in her gallery with two children, two years old, who she was taking care of, and her grandson, who was just over one year old.

She saw Felix, who she knew by his nickname, running after a man in her yard. She then heard gunshots. Rodney’s girlfriend pushed her inside, and she heard more gunshots.

Gloud said she heard her other son, Allister Gloud, say, “Call the ambulance.”

She went to the back of her home and saw Rodney, Allister and the man who had been running from the gunmen.

The mother said the accused, who lived in the community, used to bring his young daughter to her home for her to take care of her.

Gloud said she knew Felix about seven to eight years before the murder.

“He always used to come to check Rodney by my house. Two of them was good (sic).”

When the police asked what type of relationship the accused and the victim had, she replied: “That I do not know. His friends are not my friends.”

After the judge read her statements, the State and the Defence closed their cases.

The accused opted not to take the stand.

Apart from Gloud’s evidence, eight more witnesses gave evidence. Gloud’s sister-in-law Rhonda Gloud, who lives on the ground floor of the family’s two-storey house, and WPC Leiselle Serioux, formerly of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, took the stand.

Rhonda recalled washing dishes in the kitchen when she saw the accused with a gun in the yard.

The prosecution used formal evidence from five witnesses – a justice of the peace and four police officers.

Attorneys Michelle Ali and Shaun Morris represented the accused.

Attorneys Charmaine Samuel and Gillianna Guy prosecuted for the State.

The trial was adjourned to September 9 when the jury is expected to return and hear the closing remarks from both sides.

At the start of the trial, the judge informed the court that juror number two had an emergency. For that reason, one of the two alternates took the absent juror’s position, leaving a 12-member jury with one alternate.