Copyright newsday
A jury on October 21 found Marcus Pollard not guilty of all charges stemming from a 2019 shooting involving his cousin, Raquel Charles. The unanimous verdict was delivered after nearly two hours of deliberation before Justice Sherene Murray-Bailey on October 21. Pollard, who was charged with shooting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition, had been accused of firing a single shot at Charles along Blanchisseuse Road, Arima, around 9.30 am on March 19, 2019. Prosecutors alleged Pollard rolled down his vehicle window, pointed a firearm at Charles, and fired near her head after saying, “I hear ya like to cuss my mother gyal.” A spent 9mm casing recovered at the scene was tested and confirmed by the Forensic Science Centre. Charles told the court she was on a phone call at the time of the shooting and immediately identified Pollard to her friend, who urged her to contact police. However, no firearm or ammunition was recovered from Pollard, his vehicle, or his home. Pollard maintained that his cousin fabricated the story out of jealousy and family tensions, noting that he had changed his surname after moving to live with his mother. He admitted only to driving along the same road and seeing Charles but denied firing a weapon. The defence argued that the lack of forensic evidence, including gunshot residue or fingerprint analysis, and inconsistencies in the complainant’s account compared with first responders’ statements made the state's case implausible. The prosecution, led by attorneys Roger Hinds and Chennelle Moe, relied on Pollard’s 2019 police interview, where he acknowledged being in the area and said Charles’ report had “some truth in it.” Defence attorneys Suneesh Singh, Mikkell Samaroo, and Kimberly Mackhan, argued that the inconsistencies and absence of physical evidence raised reasonable doubt. The jury returned not-guilty verdicts on all counts.
