The high-profile murder trial of cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry is approaching its final stages, with the two defendants currently standing trial vigorously rejecting the prosecution’s case.
Anil Sancharra, 37, and Vinod Gopaul, 35, took the stand at the Berbice High Court on Thursday to testify in their own defense, refuting claims made by their co-accused-turned-star-witness, Akash Singh.
The state’s case hinges largely on the testimony of Akash Singh, who was initially charged alongside the men but was later admitted as the prosecution’s primary witness. Singh had testified that he, Sancharra, and Gopaul murdered the two teenagers between September 5 and 6, 2020, after the victims allegedly discovered a marijuana farm in the Cotton Tree backlands.
However, during their testimony, the remaining defendants offered starkly different accounts:
Anil Sancharra denied ever being at the crime scene. He characterized Singh’s testimony as a fabrication and insisted he had no involvement in any illicit marijuana operations or the killings of the cousins.
Vinod Gopaul provided an alibi, testifying that he was in police custody on an unrelated firearm charge from September 5, 2020, until September 11, 2020. He maintained that he was incarcerated at the time the murders occurred and did not learn of the incident until his subsequent arrest in January 2021.
Representing Gopaul, attorney Chandra Sohan argued that the State’s case is built on insufficient evidence. He highlighted what he described as significant gaps in the prosecution’s presentation, including missing items from the preliminary inquiry records and questions regarding the accuracy of police documentation surrounding Gopaul’s arrest.
State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards countered these claims, urging the jury to weigh the totality of the evidence, specifically pointing to the testimony of Akash Singh and Police Superintendent Rodwell Surrabo. Superintendent Surrabo had been called earlier to address discrepancies within police records while affirming the prosecution’s theory of the men’s involvement.
Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall presided over the trial, which saw testimony from approximately 45 witnesses, including forensic experts, law enforcement officers, and relatives of the victims.
The court has scheduled the judicial summation for June 9, 2026. Following the Judge’s instructions, the 12-member jury will retire to begin deliberations and determine the verdict for Sancharra and Gopaul.
