BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE trial of Wycliffe Liburd, who has been accused of gunning down Charles ‘Abaloo’ Mitchum in cold blood, has begun.
Yesterday, (July 1) at the Basseterre High Court of Justice, Liburd sat before a 12-member jury which began hearing evidence in his case.
Eleven witnesses are expected to give evidence on behalf of the prosecution, which is hoping to prove that on April 18, 2008, sometime during the morning hours, Liburd met the 32-year-old at Lower Shaw Avenue, drew a gun and shot him to death.
Two of the 11 witnesses, Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Stephen Jones and a juvenile, were called to the witness stand.
According to the juvenile’s testimony, he was on his way to his grandmother’s house when he witnessed Mitchum’s execution.
“A man got shot, Abaloo. Before Abaloo got shot, a man ask Abaloo for his (the man) money. He [Abaloo] say he ain’t have it right now. The man shoot him. Abaloo fall down when the man shoot him. He shoot him with a gun…three times. Abaloo was on the ground when the man shoot him. Others were around when the man shoot Abaloo. A lady was on a (veranda). I did not speak to that lady. That lady didn’t speak to me.”
The child further testified that the incident occurred a short distance from where he was, but explained that he does not know the identity of the person who shot Mitchum. Under cross examination, the lad reiterated that he did not see the face of Mitchum's executioner but he was able to see that the assailant had something on his head.
“I do not know who the man was. I did not see his face. The man who did the shooting has something over his head. He did not have something over his face.”
Just about one week after he was murdered, Mitchum’s remains were autopsied by Dr. Jones. The Forensic Pathologist told the court that he discovered five gunshot entry wounds and each had corresponding gunshot exit wounds. Four of the five sets, he explained, were found in the chest and abdomen areas while one set was discovered on the left arm just above the elbow joint.
The doctor also explained that the four sets of gunshot injuries to the chest and abdomen were associated with injuries to the great vessels above the heart, liver, spleen and lung with the collection of two liters of blood in the left lung.
His conclusion, as presented to the court, was that Mitchum’s death was due to gunshot injuries to the chest and abdomen with haemorrhage and shock.
The case continues today where other prosecution witnesses are expected to take the stand.
The prosecution team is being led by Director of Public Prosecution Paulina Hendrickson while Liburd’s defence Counsel is Warner.
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