Resuming her evidence before Coroner Brassington Reynolds and a three-member jury inquiring into his death, the woman said Blair did not have any grenade either when the two of them were in their bedroom before the shooting.

She said about 11:30 hours that same day, she was accompanied by two policemen to Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary where she identified the body of her spouse.

Ragnauth said, prior to the tragedy, she heard a banging noise coming from their bedroom door but none of the persons outside spoke of a search warrant.

She said the officer she recognised and called ‘Steve! Steve! was Superintendent Steve Merai, the next door neighbour of her sister in Parade Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

Answering Mr. Raphael Trotman, who is looking into her interest, the witness said she noticed nothing like bloodstains on the floor after she emerged from the back room of their house.

Police Constable Kaswin Benjamin, a member of the Anti-Crime Task Force, in his testimony, said he received training in the use of several weapons.

Last April 5, at about 22:55 hours, he and other policemen under the command of Merai, left Eve Leary, also in the city, for mobile patrol in two Police vehicles on East Coast Demerara.

The party comprised Sergeant Smith, Constables Belfield, Denny, Ferrell, Thomas, Roberts and Mars, with Denny driving GGG 6207 and Constable Valentine at the wheel of GFF 2885.

They were all dressed in navy blue uniform and armed, he with the weapon personally assigned to him for duty, an M-70 rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition.

Thirty rounds were in the magazine and the rest in a pouch attached to his belt and they were briefed by Smith before they set off.

Benjamin said, about one hour after leaving their base, they stopped at Lusignan, on East Coast Demerara, as well and Merai spoke to someone.

After the conversation, Merai informed them that they were going to Blair’s residence to search for arms and ammunition and they arrived there about midnight when Roberts, Mars, Thomas and Denny disembarked the vehicle and cordoned off the yard.

The witness said he, Smith, Merai and Belfield proceeded into the yard and walked up a wooden stairway leading to a landing and the main door to the building.

Benjamin said Merai instructed him to rap on the door and he did, with rounds in the breach of his gun.

The witness said a male voice answered and, in answer to the question asked, Merai said: “The Police” and indicated they wanted to search the premises.

According to Benjamin, the male voice said: “I am not opening the door” and Merai replied that he would kick it down, to which the reply was: “Break it if ya want.”

The witness said lights were inside and outside the building and he was commanded to make a forced entry.

Benjamin said he forced the door open with his right shoulder and rapped on the first room door, which was locked.

A voice answered, enquiring who was there and, as all of them entered the house, Merai said: “Police” and the voice asked if they were from Vigilance station.

Benjamin said the door swung open and a woman carrying a small child ran out, heading in an easterly direction within the house and he looked into a room and saw Blair with what appeared to be a gun in his hand.

The witness said Blair immediately discharged a round at them and he returned fire with two rounds, one of which appeared to have hit the victim and he fell next to the doorway of the room.

Merai and Belfield helped take off Blair’s white vest and a trunks and Benjamin said, followed by Smith, who claimed he found a grenade in the room, they conveyed the injured man to the hospital in GGG 6207.