A 22-year-old student charged with the murder of a classmate said yesterday that he fears a reprisal while at the Remand Yard Facility, Golden Grove, Arouca. Avron Allister De Souza, of Barataria, said so when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Nannette Forde-John in the Tunapuna First Magistrates' Court. After De Souza was charged, his lawyer, Tristile Khan-Leu, told the court that the victim's brother was an inmate at the facility and her client feared that he would be attacked while awaiting trial in the matter. After being placed on four identification parades, De Souza was charged with the murder of fellow Helping Youth Prepare for Employment (HYPE) student, Kevin Daniel Francis.
Francis, 18, of Upper Cemetery Street, Diego Martin, died on November 4, after being stabbed once in the neck while standing outside the Metal Industries Company (MIC) compound at Century Drive, Trincity Industrial Estate, Macoya. De Souza surrendered to the Region 11 Homicide Bureau of Investigations in Arouca on November 5. Forde-John agreed to make a note of application on De Souza's warrant that was sent to prison authorities. Khan-Leu also requested all disclosure related to the matter including station diary extracts, the results of identification parades and any oral utterances made by De Souza while in police custody. Court Prosecutor Sgt Narine told the court disclosure would be made. De Souza is expected to reappear before Forde-John on December 13.
