Henry cousins’ murder trial nears end, accused men deny involvement

The trial into the murders of cousins Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry is nearing its conclusion, and the two of the accused men who are standing trial continue to deny any involvement in the killings.

Charged with the murders are Akash Singh, called “Monkey,” of Zeelugt Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo; his stepbrother, Anil Sancharra, called “Dan Pole” and “Rasta,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice; and Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne.

The trio is accused of murdering the teenage cousins between September 5 and September 6, 2020, at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.

When the matter came before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Berbice High Court, only Sancharra and Gopaul were called upon to stand trial. Singh was admitted as the prosecution’s main witness.

During the trial before a 12-member jury, State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards called approximately 45 witnesses, including Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, 16 police officers, and relatives of the deceased teenagers.

Earlier in the proceedings, Akash Singh testified that he, Sancharra, and Gopaul killed Joel and Isaiah after the teenagers allegedly discovered a marijuana farm in the backlands that had been sprayed.

However, when they took the stand on Thursday, both Sancharra and Gopaul denied any involvement in the murders and rejected Singh’s testimony.

Sancharra maintained that he was never at the crime scene and insisted that Singh fabricated the allegations against him. During cross-examination, he repeatedly denied being in the West Coast Berbice backlands at the time of the killings. He also refuted claims linking him to a marijuana camp in the area.

Sancharra also challenged the prosecution’s suggestions that Singh implicated him because he witnessed the murders, arguing instead that the witness was not telling the truth.

Gopaul, meanwhile, testified that he was in police custody on a separate firearm-related matter on September 5, 2020. He told the court that he remained detained until September 11 and therefore could not have been at the Cotton Tree backlands when the murders occurred.

Gopaul further denied Singh’s allegations, including claims that he instructed anyone to dispose of weapons. Gopaul said he first learned of the murders in January 2021 when he was arrested by police and soldiers.

Following the close of the defence’s case, attorney Chandra Sohan, representing Gopaul, addressed the jury and argued that the State had failed to present sufficient evidence. He pointed to alleged gaps in the prosecution’s case, including missing evidence from the preliminary inquiry and questions surrounding Gopaul’s arrest date.

In response, Prosecutor Edwards urged jurors to rely on the testimony of Akash Singh and Police Superintendent Rodwell Surrabo, who addressed discrepancies in police records while maintaining the accused men’s involvement.

Justice Morris-Ramlall is expected to sum up the case on June 9, after which the jury will begin deliberations and deliver its verdict.

Sancharra is being represented by the Dexter Todd and Associates Law Firm.