Ewath Cobis, who had been on trial for the murder of his friend Ronaldo Joseph, called “Long Hair”, on December 18, 2012 over a memory card, walked out of the High Court a free man on Thursday after a 12-member jury unanimously acquitted him of both murder and the lesser count of manslaughter.
The verdict was returned after some three hours of deliberation. All smiles after his release, Cobis indicated that among his first plans will be to seek employment and live “a humble life”.
“I feel happy to be a free man once again,” he told this publication moments after leaving the court room.
The murder was alleged to have occurred at Monosse backdam in Barima-Waini (Region One) on a night when the duo had consumed alcohol at a shop.
In his defence, Cobis claimed that Joseph, the aggressor, had dealt him three lashes with a cutlass after he had refused to give him the memory card. At this point, Cobis said, he picked up a knife in an attempt to save his own life and accidentally stabbed Joseph.
State prosecutors Abigail Gibbs, Narissa Leander and Seeta Bisundial presented the case, and Attorney-at-law Mark Conway represented Cobis.
