Gravesande said, on February 8, 2000, about 20:59 hours (8.59 pm) he was at Providence Police Station when he received information that there was a shooting incident in the vicinity of Toucan Suites, Youbani Avenue, Eccles, also on East Bank Demerara.

As a result, he left the station in the company of Rural Constabulary Corporal Cobeer Persaud, who was driving his 4 x 4 vehicle, with other persons inside.

The witness said, when they reached Eccles, they turned east off the public road and into a street from where gunshots were heard.

But, as they were proceeding, a man emerged from a clump of bushes and shouted: "Turn back! Turn back! London shooting from Toucan Guest House."

Gravesande said Persaud stopped the vehicle and they all disembarked and ran towards the public road where they took cover as tear smoke filled the air and rapid gunfire continued.

The witness said Police and Army ranks arrived at the scene shortly after and a huge crowd of civilians gathered, as well.

Gravesande said he and other policemen remained on the public road throughout the night until the next day, February 9, about 09:30 hours (9.30 am) when the shooting ceased.

He said he then overheard persons saying that London and a female were shot and killed and he saw both bodies lying in the rear of two Police vehicles.

Asked by Coroner Robertson, if he knew who shot the two, Gravesande said he did not know, neither did he hear the shots.

He also did not hear anyone say whether they were shot by Police or Army ranks nor did he enquire, even though he was curious.

Gravesande said, after the vehicles left with the dead, he, Inspector Deonarine and others, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers among them, proceeded to Toucan Suites and recovered arms and ammunition.

They found six guns, one bulletproof vest, live rounds and spent shells, grenades, gents clothing, photographs of London, two passports and a bag.

Deonarine made a list before instructing him to take the items to Brickdam Police Station, the witness said.

According to Gravesande, the things should have been taken to Providence but he could not say why the arms and ammunition from the crime scene were sent to Brickdam while the warhead recovered from Rhonda Forde's body was directed to Ruimveldt Police Station.

The witness said he lodged the post mortem report on Forde at Ruimveldt, too, on his own initiative but tendered a copy as exhibit in Court yesterday.

Gravesande said he witnessed the autopsy on Forde at Le Repentir morgue on February 13, in the presence of her aunt, Dawn Dover, who identified the body before Dr Nancy performed the operation.

Deonarine, who began his testimony on September 25, was due to continue yesterday and tender other exhibits from the scene of the siege but asked to be excused because of engagements in the interior.

Gravesande told Coroner Robertson that standard Police operational practice is for any articles recovered from a crime scene to be taken to a station within that district.

He said Providence district covers the area from the ‘Flour Mill Road’ or the canal separating Eccles and Agricola, along the public road to Diamond, before Grove Market Street, all on East Bank Demerara.

Gravesande said, after they were examined by other senior officers and Superintendent Adams, who was in charge of the crime scene, the items were conveyed to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, in Georgetown, too, for display at a press conference in the Police Commissioner's conference room.

Following that media event, the things were counted, marked and lodged in the Arms Room by Deonarine.

Gravesande said, on February 10, 11 and 12, he, Deonarine and other ranks paid visits to Toucan Suites and retrieved more live ammunition and spent shells of various calibre and lodged them at Brickdam.

He assisted Deonarine to also take weapons and ammunition to the Ballistics Section of Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary, for testing.