Of the 15 potential jurors originally summoned, some were previously disqualified and only eight were present yesterday before Coroner Brassington Reynolds at Sparendaam Court, also on East Coast Demerara.

However, instead of allowing the required five to be selected, attorney-at-law Mr. Raphael Trotman, who is looking into the interest of widowed Simi Ragnauth and other relatives, contended that the jurors must be from the same Magisterial District and County.

The lawyer also said persons should be chosen randomly and not hand-picked, and must be from the neighbourhood, according to the law.

Mr. Basil Williams, who is associated with Trotman, suggested that about 15 people be summoned the next time and their names put in a bag for the random choice of five.

Coroner Reynolds pointed out that the proceedings can start with five persons and, if for any reason someone becomes ill or dies, the inquiry can continue with below the legal minimum, as the fifth person could be excused permanently.

He instructed that all the lawyers concerned with the matter be served with copies of the Police and post mortem reports.

Coroner Reynolds said this particular inquest is important for the public well-being and all parties with interest.

He said, on Friday, not less than 10 persons would be summoned and five would be chosen.

Senior Counsel Bernard DeSantos, who is representing the Police, said he has no objections to the persons being summoned.

But he argued that Section 22 of the Act has no definition of neighbourhood and that has to be gleaned from a dictionary.

Trotman observed that 15 people have already been summoned for whatever process is being used and the Coroner should utilise that listing and instruct his clerk to send summonses to them.

Blair, 33, was killed last April 6 when cops went to his house to arrest him for questioning in connection with a series of motor car hijackings and robberies.

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

Testifying before Coroner Brassington Reynolds and a three-member jury as the proceedings finally got underway at Sparendaam Court, the 25-year-old mother of two, now living at Lot 43 Section ‘B’ Buxton said, at the time of the shooting, they resided at Lot 42 Middle Walk Road, Buxton, in a four-bedroom wooden cottage.

The family, including her two children, Shakine Blair and Jordan Ragnauth, occupied the first and last rooms in one of three houses in the same yard.

Bryan Blair and Morvin Sers, a brother and nephew of the deceased, respectively, were occupants of the two middle rooms.

The witness said, about 12.30 am last April 6, she was asleep in the front room with her husband and two-year-old son, when a noise awakened her from the front door which was secured by four safety bolts.

The woman said she thought bandits were there and Shaka, who was already awake, shouted: “Thief! Thief!”

He picked up their cordless telephone and gave it to her with the instruction to call Vigilance Police Station, also on East Coast Demerara.

Ragnauth said she got out of bed, looked for the number on a wall and dialed 270-1022.

The voice she recognised at the other end of the line confirmed that it was Mr. Blackman’s and she said: “This is Shaka girl” and gave Shaka the telephone.

She said Blair told the man: “Send Police. Somebody kicking down me door” and started screaming: “Murder! Murder!”

The witness said she heard persons entering the living room and kicking at the door to the room in which they were and a voice said: “Blow the door.”

Ragnauth said the voice continued: “Open the f--- ing door” and she saw a piece of wood pushed under the door by someone attempting to open it from outside.

She said, when the door was opened, she was sitting on the bed holding onto her son and her husband was beside them, still on the phone.

Ragnauth said she looked through the door and saw policemen in black clothes with blue bulletproof vests. Two of them entered the room and one held on to her t-shirt, exposing her breasts while the other took her son.

As those two pulled her out of the room, two more entered and held her husband.

The woman said, as she was being dragged out of the room, she saw officer Merai and said to him: “Steve! Steve! My husband is innocent” but the cop did not respond.

She said the two cops walked her through the kitchen to the back room where her elder son was crying aloud and told her to make him open the door.

The boy did so and they entered but, when she attempted to sit on the bed, the shorter of the two policemen pointed a gun at her and instructed that she lie on the floor.

Ragnauth said she requested to say something but one of the lawmen threatened her: “Shut ya f---ing mouth before I kill all ya’ll in here” and she remained lying quietly with her children.

The witness said she heard a shot and scream from Shaka immediately before a voice said: “Hospital” and the two officers who were standing guard over her said: “Movements” prior to them all leaving the room.

Ragnauth said she heard two more shots and footsteps down the stairs as her husband shouted: “Oh God! Oh God”.

Shaka’s voice became distant and she got up with her children and walked into the living room where she stepped on something hard which she later learnt was a warhead.

She saw dust on a freezer and, above, two holes in the ceiling.

The woman said she also saw an armless vest on the floor with what appeared to be bloodstains and a hole at the top right side of it.

The garment was tendered yesterday and marked exhibit ‘A’.

Ragnauth said she went outside her home, called for her sister-in-law who lived next door and later, around 2 am, her brother-in-law accompanied her to Georgetown Public Hospital where her dead husband was in the mortuary.

Those present during the proceedings yesterday included Mr. Basil Williams and Mr. Raphael Trotman, who are looking into the interest of the widow and other relatives and Senior Counsel Bernard DeSantos, representing the Police.

DeSantos disclosed that Senior Superintendent Merai has been granted leave to take a child out of the jurisdiction for surgery but is scheduled to return on August 4.

The inquiry, into the death of Blair, 33, continues on July 29 when his widow will continue her examination-in-chief.