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Justice Brassington Reynolds yesterday sentenced Richard Reid, called “Bully Boy”, to death after a 12-member jury found him guilty of the 2002 murder of Michael Rodrigues.After deliberating for more than six hours, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.On hearing the verdict, Reid said that he was not guilty of the offence.“Sir, I must say that I’m not guilty. That’s all I’m going to say.”Reid has been on trial for the past two weeks for the murder of Rodrigues, which occurred on September 15, 2002 at a shop located at Better Hope South, East Coast Demerara.According to the facts of the case, both men were imbibing at the shop and ended up in an argument.Reid, in his caution statement, said that he was drinking at the shop and Rodrigues went into the shop and spoke with the owner.Reid contended that Rodrigues then pushed him and cuffed him. He had a knife in his pants and he pulled it out and “fire a jook on he (Rodrigues)”.According to the statement, Rodrigues then hit him again and he (Reid) swung the knife at him once again and then ran home. It added that Reid later looked back and saw that Rodrigues had collapsed in the shop.Reid’s attorney,Reggie Miller College Jersey, Compton Richardson, had objected to the admission of the caution statement, questioning whether it was true and voluntary.A voir dire (trial within a trial) was conducted to determine the admissibility of the statement, and Justice Reynolds admitted Reid’s caution statement into evidence.Several prosecution witnesses testified in this trial, including Reid’s nephew, Samuel Cummings; the sister of the deceased, Subrina Rodrigues; and the owner of the shop where the incident occurred, Bibi Sharon Beckharry. |
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