After spending 19 years in prison and enduring two full trials and several others that were aborted, a man from Laventille is still yet to be found innocent or guilty of murdering his uncle.
High Court Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds ordered yet another retrial for Kevon Nurse also known as Kevon Benoit after his second full trial ended with a hung jury on Thursday afternoon.
The 12-member jury before Ramsumair-Hinds at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain, could not arrive at a unanimous verdict for Nurse in the four hours allotted to them.
Even when offered more time, the jury stated that the outcome would be the same.
Nurse is accused of murdering his uncle Lester Ash at his apartment at Building One, Leon Street, Success Village, Laventille, on December 25, 2000.
According to the evidence presented in the trial, around 9 am 22-year-old Nurse and 35-year-old Ash engaged in an argument that ended with Nurse being beaten and injured.
State prosecutors presented medical records to show that Nurse went to the two public hospitals before he received treatment at the Arima District Hospital.
Several hours later, Nurse alleged returned to Ash’s apartment and shot the steel pan tuner and part-time tailor several times.
The State’s main witness was one of Ash and Nurse’s neighbours, who was 13-years-old at the time and claimed to have seen Nurse entering the apartment before hearing several gunshots.
While being cross-examined by Nurse’s lawyers Raphael Morgan and Adaphia Trancoso, the witness admitted that she only saw a side view of Ash’s attacker for five to 10 seconds before the man put on a mask and entered the apartment.
Nurse’s first trial in 2002 was aborted at a preliminary stage due to legal issues. His second trial took place a year later and resulted in Nurse being convicted.
However, Nurse’s conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal and a retrial was ordered.
Nurse went on trial on two other occasions but those had to be aborted at a preliminary stage as he did not have legal representation.
The case was prosecuted by Stacy Laloo-Chong and Joanne Forrester.