BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - "I saw Gregory's phone in a room on a chest of drawers" is what one witness told the Court yesterday (Mar. 12) while testifying during the murder trial of five men who accused of killing Gregory Anthony Zakers.
The men being tried are Nelson ‘Mad One’ Challenger, Glenroy Smithen, Shenroy ‘Shenny’ Francis, Moses Gardener and Jomi ‘Biggie’ Rawlins, accused of taking the life of Zakers sometime between April 10 and 12, 2008.
Kishron Zakers, one of the witnesses testifying on behalf of the prosecution, which is being led by Director of Public Prosecutions Travers Sinanan, stated that he last spoke to Gregory shortly after 7:00 on the night of April 10, 2008.
He said he was at home in St. Pauls and Gregory had called him. He testified that shortly after the conversation he left his home and went to where the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party was holding a public meeting but he did not attend.
He stated that he went up The Hill to Corlie Francis' house to "see if Gregory had arrived". He went on to state that when he got there he entered the side door on the western end of the house but there was no one inside.
Kishron said he tried calling Gregory's phone but he did not pick up. He further said he walked through the house and saw Gregory's cellular phone on a chest of drawers in a room, adding that he picked it up and searched it, put it back down and exited the house.
The witness said he went back down the road on Main Street where he came across ‘Mac 11’ and had a conversation with him.
He told the Court that he ventured down into "De Ghetto" where he saw Nelson Challenger and asked him if he had seen Gregory and his reply was in the negative.
Kishron testified that he went home and while on his way there he saw Corlie Francis jump out of a bus. He said he had a conversation with Francis, adding that he did not do anything or go anywhere after that.
The witness told the Court that on the following day (Friday, April 11, 2008) he had a conversation with his brother and then went in search of Gregory.
He said he went to someone's house, which was not far from where he lived, and spoke to someone before journeying to his aunt's home.
He added that he made a call to a mutual friend by the name of Dujan and then went back on The Hill to Corlie's house but, again, no one was there.
Kishron stated that he waited outside the house for about two hours, during which time Dujan had arrived and they spoke while they waited.
He said he observed the step leading to the side door was freshly painted.
The witness was cross-examined by four of the five attorneys representing the accused men. He explained 'De Ghetto' is a place where friends go to "hang out", which is where Gregory frequented when he lived in St. Pauls.
He told the Court that he did not search through Corlie's house or checked to see if Gregory's phone was still inside on the Friday morning, explaining he went through the side door and exited at the back.
He explained that he knew the phone he saw the previous night was Gregory's because he saw the missed calls when he searched it, noting that he did not search the text messages or anything else.
Kishron said he could not state for certain if Gregory was in St. Pauls that night and he did not observe anything while waiting in the back yard.
Regarding the painted step, the witness told the Court that he noticed it when his "draggers" got dirty from the paint.
When asked, he said the police visited the house while he was there but he could not recall who the officers were.
He admitted that he did not show them the freshly painted step or his "draggers" and it was put to him that he did not do so because he was making up the story. To this suggestion, the witness replied in the negative.
It was revealed that he had been at Corlie's house earlier the Thursday afternoon. It was put to him that he spent more than two minutes in the house when he went back that same night, which he denied.
The judge asked where he was standing the Friday morning while he waited at Corlie's house, and he replied at the back of the house.
The case continues today (Mar. 13).
The attorneys representing the accused men are Hon. Robetlo Hector for Challenger, Fitzroy Eddy for Francis, John Cato for Rawlins, Natasha Grey for Smithen and Chesley Hamilton for Gardener.
