| Not guilty was the unanimous verdict of a mixed jury after deliberating for just under two hours in the murderCharles Bristoltrial of former national volleyball stalwart and businessman, Charles Henry, 57, called Charles Bristol, “Wheels” or “Charlie”.Bristol was on trial before Justice Franklyn Holder. He is a re-migrant Guyanese and owner of the Bristol mall of Main Street and Lad Lane, New Amsterdam was on trial for the murder of Errol Lindo, 51, which allegedly occurred on April 16, 2014 at High Dam, Caracas, East Canje, Berbice.Bristol was represented by lead Counsel Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes and Kim Kyte, in association with Tanya Warren Clements and Shabana Barnwell.During the day both the prosecution and defence presented their closing arguments before Justice Holder summed up the case to the Jury.Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte, stated that Bristol shot Lindo. But not every killing is murder and not every killing is unlawful, she said.She said that it was never the intention of the accused to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to Lindo and he was acting in self defence. A man has a right to protect and defend himself. Mr. Bristol is innocent and it’s the Prosecution’s responsibility to prove him guilty.The evidence of the Prosecution star witness whom she called Travis “Confucius” Crandon was a fallacy; because of the number of times he said he was confused.Crandon came to court to lie and when cornered, told the court that he was confused. She said, “Although he claimed to be the eyewitness, he by his evidence proved that he was not there.”Errol LindoShe went over Crandon’s evidence in chief and the number of inconsistencies mentioned during his testimony.She said that Crandon was the prosecution’s only witness. Lindo was living on Bristol’s land without permission. There was bad blood between them because Bristol wanted to repossess his property.Bristol went to the premises on the advice of his lawyers and was acting on their advice. She said that what happened on the day was that Bristol was attacked with an axe by Lindo in his own yard. She mentioned that Cassandra Arthur’s evidence corroborated with the accused that he was talking on his phone, and that he shot a man. It was his lawyer he was speaking to. She saw him pick up the axe with a white cloth. He did that on the advice of his lawyer.Prosecutor Attorney at Law Natasha Backer in her address stated that the Prosecution’s case was simple.The defence called four witnesses including two Attorneys, but the evidence of Attorneys Horatio Edmonson and Adrian Anamayah did not help their case.Martin O’Brian, she said, was not a truthful witness and changed his story. He claimed that he cannot see without his spectacles, but could see his signature and some photographs. How could you believe him? She also discredited the evidence of defence witness Rohit Sugrim.She mentioned that both O’Brian and Sugrim came with stories to match what Bristol said. Bristol was in the wrong that day.Justice Holder then took close to three hours to sum up the evidence to the mixed jury.After the verdict was announced Bristol stood and thanked God, the jurors and his lawyer and raised his hands to the heavens as the packed court room erupted.Bristol then quickly exited the court room being followed by the multitude of followers. The defence had called four witnesses Attorneys at Law Attorney Horatio Edmonson and Adrian Anamayah, Martin O’Brien and Rohit Sugrim.The prosecution called 11 witnesses including Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan. The others were Policemen Detective Sergeant Curtis Cort, Ballistics Expert Corporal Floyd Hosannah, Detective Corporal Darmendra Inderpaul, Corporals Brian Caesar and Phillip Walters, Travis Crandon, Rookmin Dindyal, Indranie Nandalall, Agnes Joseph and Cassandra Arthur.The cause of death was given as shock and haemorrhage due to gunshot injuries. |
