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January 29, 2026
January 29, 2026
January 29, 2026
After nearly seven years of legal uncertainty, Vishal “Boyo” Jeenarine was on Tuesday unanimously acquitted of an attempted murder charge by a Berbice High Court jury, bringing a long and difficult chapter in his life to a close.
Jeenarine had been accused of attacking Derrick Drepaul outside a wedding house in Bush Lot Village, Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne), on 5 May 2018. The prosecution alleged that Drepaul was struck multiple times with pieces of wood, leaving him critically injured.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty reminded jurors of the fundamental principle of criminal law: the burden of proof rests entirely with the prosecution, and the accused bears no obligation to prove his innocence.
During the trial, Jeenarine testified in his own defence, firmly denying any involvement in the attack. He maintained that he did not strike Drepaul and did not wield any weapon, including a brick or piece of wood. According to Jeenarine, his sister later arrived at the scene and urged him to leave, after which he returned home.
His account was supported by his sister, Genita Jeenarine, who told the court that she was present at the wedding house that night. While she acknowledged that she did not witness every moment of the incident, she stressed that her testimony before the High Court was consistent with evidence she previously gave at the Magistrate’s Court.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of Derrick Drepaul, who said he knew Jeenarine from the community but had no prior disputes with him. Drepaul testified that after attending the wedding house with friends and relatives, he was attacked while leaving. He claimed Jeenarine struck him with a piece of wood, causing him to fall, and then struck him again after his brother-in-law attempted to help him up. Drepaul said he lost consciousness following the second blow.
He described one piece of wood as round, approximately three feet long and about two and a half inches in diameter, while the other had a square edge.
Drepaul told the court that he later awoke at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was treated for severe head injuries, including the loss of a portion of the right side of his skull. He spent two weeks hospitalised and continued medical treatment for approximately one year.
Under cross-examination, Drepaul admitted that the incident occurred on the street in front of the house, not on a bridge as previously suggested. He also acknowledged that between 20 and 30 people were present at the scene and that his friends were not beside him at the time of the attack.
In her summation, Justice Kumar-Chetty drew attention to several inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. She noted variations in witness testimony regarding the exact location of the incident, lighting conditions, the number of persons present, and how the injuries were inflicted. The judge urged the jury to carefully assess whether these discrepancies affected the reliability of the evidence.
After deliberating, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty, formally discharging Jeenarine of all charges and bringing visible relief to him and his family.
