High Court judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon, on Wednesday dismissed the murder charge against Regan Rodrigues, called ‘Grey Boy’, who was accused of murdering political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing.
On Monday last, Rodrigues appeared before Justice Kissoon and pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on March 10, 2015, he murdered Crum-Ewing at Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
The State was represented by prosecutors, Tyra Bakker and Lisa Cave while Rodrigues was represented by attorney-at-law, Adrian Thompson.
On Wednesday, Thompson made a no-case submission on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case because of insufficient evidence.
The Judge agreed and noted that there was no evidence in the case against Rodrigues. The State was relying on evidence that the .32 pistol, which was used to kill Crum-Ewing, was found at Rodrigues’ Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, residence, but Attorney Thompson had challenged the testimonies of several police officers on the grounds that they fabricated their stories against his client.
In this regard, Justice Kissoon noted that the State speculated that it was Rodrigues who used the gun to kill Crum-Ewing.
Justice Kissoon described the prosecution’s case as “tenuous” and one based purely on speculation. As such, the Judge urged the jury to return a not-guilty verdict.
Rodrigues broke down in tears after he heard the judge’s decision.
The bullet-riddled body of Crum-Ewing was found at Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme; the 40-year-old was shot twice to the temple, once to the back of the head and twice to the stomach.
The police in a statement had stated that the political activist was accosted by four men in a car, one of whom discharged several rounds, hitting him about the body. It was reported that the killer (s) used a .32 pistol to execute Crum-Ewing.
The political activist was well-known for his one-man protests. Minutes before he was gunned down, he was reportedly heard via a bullhorn urging residents of the neighbourhood to vote against the then ruling PPP/C party.
A few years ago, Rodrigues was charged with the same offence but he was released in September 2016, after Magistrate Judy Latchman accepted the no-case submission filed by attorney Thompson.
In her ruling then, Magistrate Latchman said that while she was satisfied that the gun, which was used to shoot Crum-Ewing was found at the home of the accused, the evidence offered by the prosecution did not implicate Rodrigues in the actual murder.
Rodrigues, however, was rearrested on April 14, 2017, for the same offence, following instructions by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the investigation to be re-opened.
