The State has officially rested its case against a man accused of kidnapping and car larceny in the first indictable case to be tried under the new Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act, 2011 (AJIPAA) legislation. This law, which was proclaimed on December 12 last year, aims to address the backlog in the court system by sending all indictable matters directly to the High Court.
Sheldon Doodnath, a resident of Caroline Village in Couva, appeared in the High Court at the O’Meara Judicial Complex in Arima on July 16 before Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds and a nine-member jury with three alternates. The charges against Doodnath were brought by PC Mark Balkaran, who accused him of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and their son using her car in Gasparillo in January.
Doodnath pleaded not guilty on April 30, after a sufficiency hearing conducted by a high court master two weeks prior. The trial began with PC Balkaran taking the stand, followed by justice of the peace Raffie Ali Mohammed, who read aloud interview notes from the Gasparillo police station that Doodnath allegedly agreed with.
After the state’s case was closed by prosecutor Charmaine Samuel, Doodnath decided to testify in his defense. He claimed that he was merely dropping off money for his girlfriend and visiting their child when the alleged incident occurred. According to Doodnath, he approached his girlfriend’s car, she got in, and an altercation ensued with others present. Feeling threatened, Doodnath said he got into the driver’s seat and drove off with her in the car.
He recounted driving along Johnson Street when his girlfriend grabbed their child and jumped out as he slowed down due to car troubles. Doodnath stated that he planned to return for their van and was heading to his father’s home when the car overheated and broke down, leading him to faint in some bushes.
Doodnath claimed that upon going to the police station, he was immediately arrested and accused of lying by the officers. He also alleged that PC Balkaran pressured him into signing a statement, which he did not fully understand due to his limited education.
The case is set to resume on July 17.
