Trial of Robateau and Pipersburg continues
This morning the murder trial of Patrick Robateau and Leslie Pipersburg entered its third day at the Supreme Court. Much of the session involved the cross examination of security guard John Ventura, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses. It was not a very good morning for Ventura, as he appeared not to understand questions put forward by Defence Counsel, Linsbert Willis. Willis challenged Ventura on many issues including where he was stationed at the Bowen and Bowen compound on the night of the killings, how well lit the location was, and where the company’s trucks were parked. On Tuesday, Ventura testified that he saw Leslie Pipersburg struggle with another security guard and after he approached them with his twelve-gauge pump action shotgun and radio, he felt something to his side, turned around for fifteen seconds and saw Patrick Robateau. He stated that Robateau told him to drop the gun and radio, but instead he ran to the back gate that leads to North Front Street. It is there Ventura says he dropped the gun and radio and jumped a fence. However, today in court, Ventura testified that he had dropped the weapon and equipment at the front gate near the Stationery House. Willis challenged Ventura by saying he did not see Patrick Robateau and that he did not turn around to see anyone, but he ran and that’s when he turned back to look and saw someone chasing him. Willis told Ventura that because he looked while running away, it would have been difficult for him to identify anyone. Ventura maintains he saw Robateau.
The second witness to take the stand was Vivirgilio Requeña. Requeña is the K.B.H. security guard who got into a struggle that night with a dark complexioned man later identified as Leslie Pipersburg. Requeña says that evening company trucks were coming in to unload and he saw Patrick Robateau arrive in his vehicle, which he parked under the shed in front of the distribution centre. Requeña, whose duty it was to guard the entire compound, said sometime later he made his way to the office, looked inside and saw the company’s supervisor, the female cashier, and a dark complexioned man he did not recognize. He went back to the front gate with the watchman. Requeña says after the female cashier left the compound he saw the dark skinned man walk towards him and he thought he too was leaving, but Requeña claims he then felt the man place something in his side. Requeña says he thought the man was playing, but when the man grabbed at his shirt it is then he realized that it was no joke. Requeña says they began to struggle for his twelve-gauge pump action gun and both men wound up on the ground. Requeña says he does not remember what happened next, but he later woke up in a drain. He says at the time of the incident he did not know the man’s name, but during the struggle was able to recognise his face. The trial will resume at nine-thirty Thursday morning.
