Days after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) disclosed the autopsy report into the shooting death of Jason De Florimonte, allegedly by the owner of the Tourist Villa, Erwin Bacchus, the prosecutor today closed the case for the State.
This afternoon when the matter was called before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Providence Magistrates’ Courts, Special Prosecutor, attorney-at-law Dexter Todd, called his final witness, Government pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who gave the cause of death and other findings related to a postmortem examination he conducted on De Florimonte.
Singh’s evidence comes days after Magistrate Latchman requested for the PM report to be made available to the court. The matter was then adjourned to April 16, 2019 for Bacchus’s lawyers to present a written no case submission.
Five months ago, Bacchus, 45, of 260 Fifth Avenue, Subryanville, Georgetown, was not required to plead to a charge which alleged that on August 4, last, at Subryanville, he murdered De Florimonte, 30, of 96 Fifth Avenue, Subryanville.
The murder accused is being represented by attorneys-at-law Glenn Hanoman and Nigel Hughes.
Special Prosecutor Dexter Todd was assigned by the DPP after family members of the deceased made certain complaints about the way the police was handling the matter.
The lawyers representing Bacchus are contending that their client was merely trying to defend himself after he was attacked by De Florimonte who was at the time armed with a knife and a rolling pin.
According to information, on the day in question at around 01:00 hrs, De Florimonte was seen abusing a woman and the handyman went to part them. Soon after, an argument ensued between the handyman and the now dead man.
The court was told that De Florimonte began attacking the handyman with a knife and a rolling pin. It was then that Bacchus reportedly fired several shots at De Florimonte, causing him to sustain injuries.
According to information, an autopsy conducted on De Florimonte revealed that he was shot three times about his body.
