Murder Trial Continues In The Supreme Court
The trial of Kiahna Trott-Edwards — who is charged with the murder of 16-year-old Shijuan Mungal — continued in the Supreme Court, with the jury hearing from the bus driver operating the bus which both the defendant and victim were on.
Mr Mungal died in September 2014 after sustaining head injuries, and Ms Trott-Edwards was charged with murder on September 12, 2014.
The trial was previously put on hold due to a teen witness breaking down in tears, rendering them unable to give evidence, and the jury previously heard that Ms Trott-Edwards and Mr Mungal had a verbal exchange on the bus over the victim’s use of profanity, and that the defendant allegedly struck Mr Mungal with a wooden bat.
The bus driver took to the stand, and explained to the jury that he knew the defendant and also knew the victim’s mother.
The driver said Ms Trott-Edwards got off the bus with her child, and then Mr Mungal and his friend got off the bus at the following stop. He told the jury at the end of the route, he turned around to head back to town, and Mr. Mungal and his friend boarded the bus again.
The driver said when Mr. Mungal tried to step on to the bus, he appeared unsteady on his feet and reached out and grabbed something to stop himself from falling. The driver asked the teenager if he was okay, and Mr Mungal told him, “The lady that I got in the argument with hit me in my head”.
The driver told the Court that during the bus ride he saw Mr. Mungal holding the back of his head, and when the bus passed the hospital, he suggested that Mr Mungal get off and seek medical care, but the teenager declined.
The Court then heard that when Mr Mungal got off the bus, the driver saw him appearing to stagger, with his friends trying to assist him. Following that, the jury heard that the driver called Mr. Mungal’s mother to advise her it seemed he needed medical care.
After he finished work, he contacted the defendant on social media and asked her to call him. When she did, he asked if she had an altercation with Mr Mungal, told her the teenager was injured, and suggested she contact the police.
Following the driver’s testimony, the Court heard from the father of the victim’s best friend who lives in the same apartment complex as the defendant in Warwick.
The father stated that he attended high school with the defendant, stated she lived in the same apartment complex as he did, and also noted that his son had a good relationship with her children.
He told the jury that he had arranged with his son to come and collect his birthday present. He said his son came into the house to collect the birthday money, and told the jury that he did not see Mr. Mungal.
The father told the Court that he did not know what had occurred outside the apartment, and heard about the alleged incident the following day.
The 32-year-old defendant has denied the charge of murder, and the trial continues. Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Fields is appearing for the Crown, while Courtenay Griffiths QC is defending Ms Trott-Edwards.
[Note: Due to legal reasons there are very specific rules about commenting on court stories that are not yet completed, and as such many are not permitted, and most comments will be prone to be deleted. If you are not familiar with the rules, please see the guidelines here.].
Read More About
Category: All, Court Reports, Crime, News
