Men freed in 2016 Pomeroon shallow grave case

After being behind bars for over four years on a charge of manslaughter, two men on Wednesday walked out of the Suddie High Court as free men.

Lennox Baharally and Rondell Edwards, both of Region Two, were freed following a no-case submission put forward by attorney Jerome Khan.

The duo was on trial before a mix 12-member jury for the unlawful killing of Mohamed Abdool Shameer on April 26, 2016, at Jacklow, Pomeroon.

After the State closed its case, Attorney-at-law Khan submitted that the defence had no case to answer.

Shameer was the uncle of Baharally, who, along with Edwards, was accused of killing him and burying his body in a shallow grave along the bank of the Jacklow in the Pomeroon.

The court heard that Shameer, a farmer, had left his home in a paddleboat at about 19:30hrs on April 25, 2016, to visit a friend and was reportedly returning home when his boat was run over by a larger boat captained by Baharally, who had two other persons, including Edwards.

It was alleged that after the collision had occurred, Shameer’s body was pulled out of the water and later buried in a shallow grave.

Attorney Khan contended that the State Prosecutor failed to show that Baharally did any act that was unlawful leading up to the accident.

Additionally, the attorney further argued that the Prosecutor failed to provide evidence that Baharally and Edwards behaved in a negligent or reckless manner.

Justice Sandra Kurtzious agreed with the submissions of the defence and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Initially, the duo was charged for the capital offence of murder but the charge was reduced to manslaughter after the Preliminary Inquiry at the Charity Magistrate’s Court by Magistrate Sunil Scarce.