‘Blackie’ inquest…
Coroner excludes testimony of mentally ill witness
Guyana Chronicle
July 10, 2003
CORONER Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday ruled that mentally ill Mark DeFreitas would not be called to testify at the inquest into the deaths of notorious bandit Linden London alias ‘Blackie’ and his female companion Rhonda Forde.
London and Forde died during a joint Police/Army operation at Toucan Suites, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, where the wanted man was holed out on February 9, 2000.
The coroner made her ruling while continuing the inquiry with four of the five jurors originally sworn for the proceedings.
On enquiring from the others, Mrs Robertson-Ogle was told no one knew the whereabouts of the missing juror.
The coroner excluded DeFreitas from the witness list after hearing testimony from forensic psychiatrist Dr Frank Beckles, on whether the former was capable of giving evidence.
DeFreitas was employed as a security guard at Toucan Suites at the time London and Forde were shot dead.
Beckles told the Court he examined DeFreitas on February 22, 2000 for assessment and treatment, after it had been reported to him that the latter would leave his workplace without notice and walk the streets aimlessly.
The clinical consultant said DeFreitas is a chronic user of cannabis (marijuana) and was a patient at Georgetown Public Hospital for a period in 1978.
The witness said, at the February 22, 2000 examination, DeFreitas told him he had been receiving messages in his brain and experienced pain in the groin and temples.
Beckles also said the soft-spoken DeFreitas knew who he was but wore soiled clothing and he concluded that the subject suffered from chronic schizophrenia (a mental disease accompanied by delusions and retreat from social life).
The inquest has been adjourned to July 21.