Fourteen years after he was accused of beating a man with a car tyre rim, Rishi Seepersad has been acquitted of the charge.
Seepersad, 34, was found not guilty on Tuesday following a judge-alone trial before Justice Geoffrey Henderson in the San Fernando Second Assizes.
Both the victim Terrence Rampersad and the State's lone eye-witness Mohan Singh died years ago. Rampersad passed away on November 24, 2019, while Singh died on August 7, 2017. The prosecution team relied on the evidence they had given during the preliminary inquiry.
The State's only other witness was investigating officer PC Aaron Ramdial who was then assigned to the Tableland Police station.
Seepersad of Princes Town was charged with unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Rampersad on April 25, 2010 near Post Office Trace, Naparima Mayaro Road, New Grant.
Rampersad had claimed he was about to cross the road when the accused allegedly hit him with something on the left side of his face and neck and he fell on the ground unconscious. He suffered a dislocated jaw.
Singh had testified in the magistrates court that he saw the accused hit Rampersad with an object and he fell on the ground. He also alleged that the accused picked up a car rim and began hitting Rampersad on the head and chest.
The officer's evidence was that he spoke to Seepersad at the scene and saw Rampersad lying motionless with blood on his face.
However, the judge said he could not be sure when he considered the depositions of the witnesses as he did not have the benefit of hearing them testify or their evidence being tested in cross-examination.
The judge said, "The position may very well be different if I had these witnesses before me and they had been tested under cross-examination but that is not the case here."
The prosecution was represented by State attorneys Dylan Martin and Brandon Sookoo while Seepersad was represented by attorneys Jason Jackson and Krysan Rambert.
