As the 2007 “Mango Man” murder trial continued before Justice James Bovell-Drakes at the High Court, Police Detective, Inspector Suraj Singh testified on Wednesday that the accused, Mark Royden Williams called “Smallie” and Sherwin Nero known as “Catty”, admitted under caution that an ex-Police accomplice was the one who transported them from the scene via a horse cart.
Now that the voir dire (trial within a trial) hearing has ended, the main trial of the duo got underway when Inspector Singh denied that neither he nor any rank in his presence assaulted Williams whilst he was in custody at Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Led by prosecutor Tamica Clarke, Inspector Singh detailed that he took the caution statements of both men following their arrest in 2008 for the August 30, 2007 murder of Kumar Singh called Mango Man at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara. Singh testified that Nero, under caution, heard of the plan to rob the man and claimed that Smallie and another accomplice were armed with guns while he had a cutlass. Nero allegedly told Police he later learnt the deceased was called Mango Man.
Williams reportedly told Police that he also learnt of the man’s name after the fact, allegedly adding that he did not kill the man while claiming that he was outside at the time. “Meh na kill de man; me been outside on the wuk,” Williams reportedly explained. Singh further told the 12-member jury of Smallie admitting to having a small gun, saying that Durwin Wright, who was revealed to be a former policeman, carried them away from the scene with his horse cart.
The defence was not buying this account of events with Defence Attorney for the duo, Nigel Hughes, suggesting to Singh that it was after Wright was charged that he told Police a story to be freed of the crime. Singh disagreed and claimed that he knew of multiple cases where a horse cart was used as getaway transport.
“Durwin carry me in; c**lie boy had a big gun, I had a small gun. He tell me he shoot de man but he an tell me why; me get G$20, 000,” Smallie reportedly told ranks under caution.
Singh further noted that he is not aware if confrontations were held with Wright, Smallie and Nero but he recalled that Williams was taken to a private doctor in Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) owing to supposed congestion at the public hospital in Georgetown.
Singh stated that this journey from Camp Street to Grove, however, took 25 minutes, noting too that the institution at Diamond was just a medical centre back then as opposed to a hospital. Cross-examination also revealed that Wright is now in protective custody and Hughes suggested that Police had no independent evidence outside Wright’s testimony to implicate the duo on trial. The case will continue at the High Court.
