Derek Achong
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
A 34-year-old man from Valencia has been freed of murdering a fellow resident after an alleged witness to the crime refused to testify.
Lincoln Edwards, of Emon Lane, Valencia, was acquitted at the end of his judge-alone trial before Justice Sherene Murray-Bailey on Thursday.
Edwards was accused of murdering 52-year-old Lawrence Wayne Lopez.
Police officers responded to a shooting at Pine Avenue, Valencia, on September 21, 2020, and found a wounded Lopez lying at the side of the road.
Lopez was taken to the hospital for treatment and was eventually discharged. He died almost a month later when he returned to the hospital for further treatment.
During his trial, Edwards’ lawyers Stephen Wilson and Analisa Ramsaran of the Public Defenders’ Department (PDD), raised concerns over the capacity of the State’s main witness, who allegedly witnessed the shooting, to testify.
State prosecutors applied for her to be deemed a hostile witness and be held in contempt of court after she refused to take the oath and give evidence during the trial.
The applications were rejected by the judge.
In their closing submissions, Edwards’ lawyers submitted that their client was a victim of mistaken identity and there was no evidence linking him to the crime.
Justice Murray-Bailey agreed that the State had not made out a prima facie case against Edwards.
She also found that prosecutors had been given ample opportunity to call more witnesses or apply for an adjournment to have their main witness assessed.
The case was prosecuted by Chanelle Moe and Roger Hinds.
