The State has opened its case against Albert Steven Jr who is charged with attempting to murder Mandela Andrew on December 26, 2008 at Bowers Lane in Goodwill.
After empanelling a nine member jury of five men and four women, trial judge Bernie Stephenson Brooks reminded them of the oath that they had taken to try the accused fairly.
She asked them to disregard anything that they might have heard in the public domain about the case.
“Do not seek information from any form besides what you will hear from the courtroom and don’t discuss the case while it’s on-going with anyone besides your fellow jurors,” she warned.
In his opening remarks to the jury Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Gene Pestaina reminded them that they were the sole judges of the facts and they were to only listen to what was said in the courtroom.
“One person is charged in this matter….don’t confuse yourself, and your role is to find the accused either guilty or not guilty.
The court heard that on December 26, 2008, Andrew was driving his car and went to turn on Bowers Lane in Goodwill where the accused and some friends were having a bar-b q. He was then asked to give someone a drop and said he had no time.
He then felt a sting from a toy pellet gun, inquired what was happening and got struck a few more times.
It was then that the accused (Albert Steven Jr.) is reported to have stabbed him with a knife which was stuck to his chest.
Pestaina told the jury that Andrew attempted to drive to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) but crashed on his way after being unconscious and help was sought from the emergency services.
Dr. Hendricks Paul operated on Andrew and told the court that he observed him to be in “painful and respiratory distress.”
“He has a 5cm oblique rigid wound in the right fifth inter-costal space (Dr. Paul demonstrates to court) and blood was gushing out from the wound at each breath,” Dr. Paul said.
He told the court that the patient was taken to the operating theatre where a chest tube was inserted in the 7th inter-costal space, and 1,100 ml of blood removed from the chest.
Andrew was then given antibiotics and transfused with 2 units (pints) of blood.
He told the court that the injury he saw was not serious, however, if he had not removed the blood from the chest immediately, the right lung would have collapsed.
Andrew was discharged on January 4, 2009 but was readmitted to hospital less than two weeks later for “shortness of breath and fluid in right chest and was also anemic.”
“The fluid was blood stained- he was transfused with two units of blood and was discharged on January 24, 2009,” Dr Paul told the court.
He said in his opinion the injury was caused by a sharp, thin, long object like a knife or small cutlass.
According to Dr Paul, recovery was expected to take about six months and the degree of force used to inflict the wound depended on the sharpness of the object used.
Under cross examination from defense counsel Gina Dyer Munroe, the doctor stated that he had not seen Andrew with the knife in his chest since it was removed by Dr. Marlon Alexander at the Accident & Emergency department.
the message needs to be sent to you” mouth of the west” i hope u review this… if u were listenin to the case or even getting cetain facts u guys would be aware he was not the one that ask mandella for a ride and he was not the one that shot him with pellet gun..free up the young man
Typical Dominica a wrong is presented as a right, why is DNO posting so many god be with you Albert? The accused is before the court, it is not Mandella who is charged with GBH! Albert’s family have connection that is why it took so long to come to court! May justice prevail and Albert be convicted for this vicious attack!
GOOD LUCK ALBERT THE LORD GOD IS WITH YOU
This is very confusing.why there are so many names stated in this statement and ONE man in this case?why is Kevin and Kesler isn’t in this case?Mr.Andrew don’t know who stuck the knife in his chest so why is Albert accused?I don’t see NO reason for Albert to be sentenced nor charged for attempted murder
GOD LUCK ALBERT, THE LORD IS WITH YOU
GOOD LUCK ALBERT THE LORD GOD IS WITH YOU
Bad-mind they have.
When will they learn?
So why wasn’t Dr. Marlon Alexander who removed the knife from Mandela’s Chest brought to testify? Because this Dr. Paul is now talking about a sharp object like a knife or small cutlass as if he cannot tell is obviously a knife wound. Seems like there was no communication between him and Dr. Alexander because if I am a dr and I have to operate on such a critical patient I would have loved to get access to the medical records of the dr. who attended to the patient before me which would have recorded that a knife x cm long and fitting x description was pulled out of the wound… unless such is too much to ask in this country.
And that knife should have been removed, documented and handed over directly to the police so they can test for fingerprints and have the weapon for evidence purposes. I hope that’s what was done.
how can a lawyer defend someone who did something so deliberate. i mean come onnnnnnn ppl. some of us loose our soul for dollars. SHAME
One of these good days these lawyers who carry on for any money and try to make people look stupid in the light of evidence will pay. Just as criminals are getting back at lawyers who defened their bad ways in the US so too they will soon start with those lawyers in the region when their backs are against the wall. There will come a time when these lawyers will TRY to refuse them defense and they will come at them.
I pray that justice is served at the end of this case. Its been delayed for too long. Good luck Mandela
That is pure grudge movement. They grudging the man. They like to seat at the side of the street, see man pass with what they working hard for and grudge them.
And trust _______ to come with her foolish questions. Some of them lawyers too wicked. Why defend people like that? Why not just make a plea for the court to be lenient?
I not calling them, before DNO censor me..lol
If we are no longer safe right in the mother’s womb where else will we be safe?
Can you imagine the outcome if he had a real gun.take this animal away from society please
the death penalty is in America and people still kill one another,the thing about DA justice system is the judge is not hard enought when sentence people they why they go on like thisthey go stockfarm for 6 month and back on the street doing the same thing,if you give them a good lession then they will learn
After all, for not giving a man a ride? Boy human life not sacred any more in Dominica.
I hope the court plimay mister. You cannot just attempt to blasay a man just like that and almost kill the man.
It is amazing how in just one or two generations how much Dominicans has changed, for the worst.
is because they think they can get away with it that’s why there’s no regard for human life.. If the death penalty was in place people would think twice of their actions
True. And I wouldn’t even go as far as the Death Penalty. A few licks on their back with a hot cat-o-nine and plenty of those lil gangbangers would straighten up I can tell you.
Boy I hope they put that guy in the part of the jail where they bogaring man. The man doh give you a ride you shooting him with pellet gun and then u stabbing him. And a lawyer even defending a man like that. Please I hope the court give him the maximum sentence. We need to send a message to these criminals man.