The caution statements of murder accused Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, and Sherwin Nero, called ‘Catty’, were read aloud in court by detective Inspector of Police Suraj Singh this morning.
Inspector Singh was at the time testifying in the trial of Williams and Nero who are both accused of the August 30, 2007 murder of Kumar Singh called ‘Mango Man’ which occurred in the county of Demerara.
The two murder accused have retained Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, while the case for the prosecution is being presented by State Counsel Tameika Clarke.
Reports indicate that 51-year-old Singh, a businessman, of Lot 51 Craig Milne, Cove and John, East Coast Demerara was shot and killed by bandits.
According to reports, the gunmen stormed Singh’s home and began terrorising his family. Singh and his family members were shot at during the 15-minute ordeal.
Singh, who received several gunshot wounds, died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
During his time in the witness box, Inspector Singh testified to taking caution statements from the two murder accused.
According to the police witness, Williams told him, “Me aint went in the man (Singh) yard. ‘Coolie Boy’ and Junior went in the yard. Me aint had no gun. Me been a lookout. Them boys go in the yard and spent five to seven minutes.
I hear gunshots and ‘Coolie Boy’ tell me that he shoot the man. I didn’t ask he why he shoot the man. I get $20,000 and the next day I hear that the man that get kill name ‘Mango Man’. Me aint no he right name.”
In relation to the caution statement given by Nero, Inspector Singh recalled that the murder accused told him that he did not go into the yard. Rather, he said, it was ‘Smallie’, ‘Coolie Boy’ and Junior who went in the yard.
According to Inspector Singh, Nero told him that the three of them had guns and he heard shots being fired. “This is all me know about this wuk. Me later learnt that the man name ‘Mango Man'”, Inspector Singh said Nero told him.
This trial is continuing before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.
In 2017, Williams was handed the death sentence after being convicted of killing 12 persons, including police ranks, at Bartica in 2008. The mass killing is widely known as the ‘Bartica Massacre.’
That same year, Williams was among the high profile prisoners who escaped from the Camp Street prison. He was apprehended weeks later by police ranks while he was onboard a public minibus in Berbice.
