Senior Reporter
jensen.lavende@guardian.co.tt
A High Court judge has freed a man of the murder of a policewoman and her family, which took place 18 years ago, while his co-accused remains charged with murder.
Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle agreed with the defence in a pre-trial hearing that the evidence the State had against the man was inadmissible. Zwadie Gomez, 39, was charged with Daniel Mendoza for the murders of WPC Elizabeth Sutherland, 47; her husband, Ivan Sutherland, 48; their daughter, Anika Sutherland, 23; and family friend Kevin Serrette.
The four were killed on January 22, 2007. Police reported that four armed, masked men stormed the Sutherlands’ John Street Extension, Morvant home and opened fire. Busby Earle-Caddle, in her ruling, found that Gomez’s interview notes dated March 23, 2007, and a caution statement dated March 24, 2007, were both inadmissible. The statements were the only evidence against Gomez.
In November 2011, then High Court Judge, now Appeal Court Judge Mark Mohammed, dissolved the first trial against the duo. He explained then that due to unforeseen legal issues, the matter had to be aborted.
“Sometimes legal issues arise; sometimes they are foreseen and can be prepared for; sometimes they are not. As a result of legal issues that cannot be satisfactorily dealt with, I will have to stop the trial and place it on the list for some time next year before another jury and judge,” Mohammed said then.
Busby Earle-Caddle is expected to deliver her verdict in Mendoza’s case next week.
Gomez was represented by Delicia Helwig-Robertson and Axia Edwards, while Anju Bhola-McQuan appeared for the State.
