Fyzabad man acquitted of 2015 murder

A jury has acquitted a Fyzabad man of the 2015 murder of fellow villager Rodney Gloud.

On September 11, after deliberating for just under two hours, the San Fernando jury returned the not-guilty verdict in favour of Makesi Felix, who was before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds at the Princes Town Family and District Court charged with Gloud’s murder.

Gloud was shot at 4.15 pm on April 29, 2015, at the back of his relatives’ home at Delhi Road, Fyzabad.

He died at the Siparia Health Facility.

At the trial, members of Gloud’s family testified.

His brother Allister said Felix and his brother were friends, but their friendship ended sometime before the killing. He identified Felix as his brother’s shooter.

Allister Gloud’s wife also testified to hearing six or seven shots. She, too, identified Felix as her brother-in-law’s shooter.

Gloud’s mother also gave evidence in the form of two statements she gave to police, as she died before the case reached trial.

Brenda Gloud, 65, gave two statements on April 29 and 30, 2015. She told the police she saw Felix, whom 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.

There were 16 witnesses at the trial.

Attorneys Michelle Ali and Shaun Morris represented Felix, whose defence was denial and fabrication, as he denied being at the scene of the shooting. He also denied his alias was “kid” and maintained the witnesses were not truthful in identifying him as the shooter.

Attorneys Charmaine Samuel and Gillianna Guy prosecuted for the State.