By Latoya Giles
In a packed courtroom last night, a mixed jury found that the two men accused of killing eleven persons at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, in January 2008, including five children, were not guilty of the charges. The men James Anthony Hyles, known as ‘Sally’ and Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, were charged almost five years ago.

Under Bhar-rat Jagdeo

The jury went into deliberations shortly after 11:30 hrs and returned several hours later, with the not guilty verdict. As the foreman was finished giving the verdict, Senior State Prosecutor Judith Gildhaire-Mursalin served a notice of appeal. Attorney at law Nigel Hughes, who represented James Anthony Hyles, then made a bail application.

According to Hughes, his client was incarcerated since 2008. The lawyer explained that after Hyles’ first committal to stand trial, it was delayed thrice due to the actions of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Hughes disclosed to the court that the DPP had sent the matter back to court so that further evidence could be taken. According to the lawyer it was only after five years, in 2013, that Hyles was finally indicted. Hughes told the court that he had filed a constitutional motion for his client, for him to be brought up for a trial. In the Chief Justice (CJ)’s ruling, Hughes said, it was seen as an abuse of power by the DPP.  Hughes said that the CJ stopped short at saying that delay was “unreasonable”.

The lawyer further told the court that his client had suffered extra years while being incarcerated. Hughes said that any suggestion to deny bail would be a further abuse of power. He opined that if the prosecution gave notice of appeal, they had anticipated the verdict. The lawyer went on to state that his client had no previous antecedents. Hughes said that it would be a “dark day” if the court was to send Hyles back to jail while the appeal is being presented.

Prosecutor Mursalin in responding to Hughes’s application explained that the notice of intention of appeal had to be served before the accused was discharged from the prisoner’s dock and that is why the appeal was done. She explained that this is stipulated by section C 1 of the Court of Appeal Amendment Act 4 of 2010. Mursalin said that for Hughes to say that the State knew they would get that verdict would be misleading.

After hearing both sides, Justice Navindra Singh said that he would be granting bail. The judge explained that he would be granting in the tune of $100,000 on each count of murder, which totaled $1.1M. Hyles is also expected to report to the Vigilance Police Station every Monday until the appeal is completed. The other accused, Mark Royden Williams, will however have to remain in prison since he has other pending matters.

Some 15 witnesses testified and the matter had begun three weeks ago. Williams was represented by attorney Roger Yearwood.
On the morning of Saturday, January 26, 2008, gunmen stormed into the village of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, and murdered eleven people, including five children. Five families were affected by the killings.

AK-47s, property of the Guyana Defence Force

Police believed that the gunmen who were armed with shotguns and AK-47s entered the village around 2:00 am, and invaded the homes of five families. Within about 20 minutes eleven people were murdered.

The victims were Clarence Thomas, 48, Vanessa Thomas, 12, Ron Thomas, 11, Mohandan Goordat, 32, Seegopaul Harilall, 10; Seegobin Harilall, 4; Dhanwajie Ramsingh, 52; Seecharran Rooplall, 56; Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shaleem Baksh, 52.

The mastermind of the massacre was believed to be Rondell “Fine man” Rawlins. The alleged motive for the attack was that Rawlins’ girlfriend, 19-year-old Tenisha Morgan, had vanished on January 18, 2008 while on her way to a city hospital to deliver her baby.

Rawlins believed that his girlfriend was kidnapped by law enforcement officials in an effort to force Rawlins to turn himself in. The Joint Services have categorically denied this claim.

Saturday, August 3, 2013