Nineteen-Year-Old's Death Determined to be Result of Gunshot Wounds, Pathologist Testifies

Nineteen-year-old Ajay Smith’s death was caused by cardiac injury secondary to gunshot wounds.

These were the findings of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s consultant pathologist, Dr Corinthia Dupuis, from the autopsy done a few days after the teen’s death in May 2017.

She was giving evidence as the murder trial of Lerent Forde continued on Wednesday in Supreme Court No. 2. The 34-year-old of Bournes Land, Christ Church is accused of fatally shooting Smith sometime between May 23 and 24, 2017.

Dr Dupuis identified 10 perforations, consistent with gunshots, along Smith’s left side and to the left of his back.

Questioned by Principal State Counsel Oliver Thomas as to what perforations were, the medical expert said that this was when a bullet passed through the body.

Pointing out that there were multiple gunshot entry wounds, the pathologist told the nine-member jury that four bullets were recovered from the body when the autopsy was performed on May 30, 2017.

Retired Station Sergeant Arthur Springer testified that six days before, he responded to a report of a body found on the hardcourt in St Christopher, Christ Church.

Upon arriving there at 6.25 a.m., he saw a large crowd and a young male clad in a grey t-shirt, blue cut-off jeans and black belt, lying on his back motionless and with no signs of life.

He cordoned off the area and questioned the crowd and Adrian Smith, Ajay’s father, identified his son’s body.

Springer said that Dr Ross Herbert, now deceased, arrived at the scene and pronounced death.

During the cross-examination by defence counsel Sally Comissiong, the witness was asked whether he had seen anyone entering the school. Springer replied in the negative.

“I suggest to you that someone was entering the school and was asked by officers where he was going, and he said he was the watchman for the school,” the defence attorney put it to the witness.

“I have no recollection of that,” Springer answered.

Trevor Nurse, who was a friend of the deceased, recalled that on the night of the incident, he and a group of friends visiting from overseas had left a bar in Inch Marlow and were walking through Hopewell Development when they saw a white car and heard loud voices coming from inside. They continued walking and Nurse said he heard six explosions.

He said the next day, his brother told him, “Ajay on the basketball court dead.”

Asked if he identified any of the individuals in the vehicle or their voices, Nurse said that he had not but admitted that in his statement he said the driver was wearing a red shirt.