State: Accused came out to kill

Three men went on trial yesterday for the murder of a San Juan man who was killed during a shooting at a family lime in 2005. Anderson “Weisle” Mapp, Ryan “Christian” Stephan and Darryl Bissoon are before Justice Carla Browne-Antoine in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Court charged with the murder of Colin de Landro, who lived at Quarry Road in San Juan. De Landro, 24, was shot eight times while liming with relatives outside a neighbour’s home on May 28, 2005. He sustained four gunshot wounds to the head, and died a week later while receiving treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

 

Delivering his opening address to the 12-member jury and three alternates, prosecutor Randall Hector said although it was only one of the accused who shot de Landro, all three should be held liable for his death. “They came walking side by side. They were all armed. They all wore black clothes. “The reason for doing all of this was that they were going to do a job they all planned,” Hector said. The prosecution contends that around 1 am on the day in question, the trio approached de Landro and his family during a lime and opened fire on them. Hector said that when the men opened fire, de Landro and his relatives scattered from the scene with his sister Candi-Ann being shot in the hand in the process. 

 

De Landro’s other sister Crystal managed to escape the trio by falling to the ground and pretending to be dead, Hector said. “There is clear evidence in this case that these men came with a purpose and plan with the motive to kill,” Hector said. The three are being represented by Slewyn Mohammed, Ryan Cameron and Averell Francis. First to testify in the trial yesterday was police photographer PC James, followed by de Landro’s sister Gilda Carmona. Carmona was not present during the shooting, as she left the family lime early. She testified as to the location of the lime and her family members that were present. The trial continues today when more of de Landro’s relatives are expected to testify including his brother Jason Carmona, who is also a police officer.