Witness tells court that Henry cousins were killed over ganja farm damage

Akash Singh, one of three people charged with the murders of Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry and the main witness in the case, testified in court on Tuesday that the boys were killed over a damaged cannabis farm.

Akash, nicknamed “Monkey,” from Zeelugt Squatting Area on East Bank Essequibo, along with his stepbrother Anil Sancharra, who is also known as “Dan pole” and “Rasta” from D’ Edward Village, and 30-year-old Vinod Gopaul, known as “Magga” from Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice, are accused of killing Joel and Isaiah between September 5 and 6, 2020, in Cotton Tree on the West Coast of Berbice.

Anil and Gopaul were ordered to go to trial. When the charges were presented, they pleaded not guilty, leading to a trial with a jury of twelve.

During the trial at the Berbice High Court on Tuesday, Justice Simone Morris heard from Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who was called as a witness. State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards requested that Dr. Singh be allowed to see the postmortem reports for the two cousins, and the court agreed.

After reviewing the two documents, Dr. Singh detailed the injuries sustained by the cousins, stating that each of them died from shock and bleeding resulting from multiple deep cuts.

While being questioned by Attorney-at-law Dr. Todd, Dr. Singh confirmed that the clothes of Joel and Isaiah were given to the police.

Detective Sergeant Desmond Johnny, who is part of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as a crime scene technician, testified that he was on duty in 2020 in that role.

Johnny explained that he was on duty on September 7, 2020, when he received specific information. He and a group of police officers then went to the Fort Wellington Police Station, where they met a female officer. Following their discussion about the case, they traveled to the Cotton Tree Backdam.

He stated that they went to a certain spot in the backdam where he noticed bloodstains and cigarette butts, prompting them to collect samples, which were then put into an evidence bag.

Johnny added that they moved to another area in the same backdam where he again found blood on the leaves, collected samples, and placed them into an evidence bag.

He testified that on September 7, 2020, he and a group of police officers went back to the backdam, where he discovered blood in the soil covered with grass, from which he gathered samples and took photographs.

Johnny mentioned that on September 9, 2020, he was at the site when Dr. Nehaul Singh conducted postmortem examinations on Joel and Isaiah. He noted seeing what looked like multiple deep cuts on their bodies. He also stated that he collected blood samples from both Joel and Isaiah, and hair samples were also taken and placed into an evidence bag.
Johnny stated that he went back to the CID unit and filled out forms for review at the Guyana Forensic Laboratory. He mentioned that in October 2020, he was present at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court, where he submitted evidence bags along with the analysis certificates. He noted that later that same day, he went back to his office and stored them in his drawer.

In the main witness’s case, Akash told the court that when he, Gopaul, and Anil went to their cannabis farm in the Cotton Tree backdam, they saw it had been sprayed. He explained that upon discovering this, Anil and Gopaul got upset and began arguing with each other.

Akash added that he encountered Anil, Gopaul, Joel, and Isaiah in the backdam and noticed they were laughing. He asked them if they knew anything about the damage to their cannabis farm.

Akash recounted that he, Gopaul, and Anil took up a 22-inch cutlass and attacked the two cousins. He said he was instructed to mark an X on the bodies. After the violent attack, Akash mentioned that Anil and Gopaul retrieved two horses, tied up the bodies, and transported them to a spot in the bushes. He stated that he then went to the koker to wash the cutlasses and remove his blood-stained clothes, which he put in the koker.

Akash indicated that after washing himself, he returned to Yakusari in Black Bush Polder. There, he told his sister that he and others had killed two people. He noted that a few days later, he, his sister, and their mother encountered a protest on the West Coast Berbice public road.

The following day, he visited a park and saw a familiar man reading a newspaper. He recognized the images of Joel and Isaiah in it. Akash said he informed the man that he was acquainted with the two boys.

Akash explained that in January 2021, the police apprehended him, and he confessed to the officers that he and others had murdered Joel and Isaiah. He expressed that he was scared for his life because Gopaul had threatened him.

“Everything I told the police is truth,” Akash disclosed during his testimony.

He mentioned that he informed the police about where the cousins were killed.

During cross-examination by lawyer Dr. Dexter Todd, he proposed to Akash that he was charged with the murders of Joel and Isaiah, to which Akash agreed.

Akash stated that he has been in jail for six years now. When Dr. Todd inquired about which jail, Akash replied that he couldn’t remember the name of the jail.

A total of 45 witnesses are anticipated to take the stand before the trial concludes.

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