“It was nuff chops” – Key witness in Henry Boys case
May 13 2026
Dramatic and disturbing testimony unfolded at the Berbice High Court on Tuesday as Akash Singh, a key witness in the murder trial of cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry, recounted the horrifying events surrounding their deaths on September 5, 2020.
Singh, who is currently in police custody and was also charged in connection with the killings, took the witness stand as the State continued its case against 39-year-old Anil Sanchara, called “Magga,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and 35-year-old Vinood Gopaul, known as “Dan Pole” and “Rasta,” of Yakasari, Black Bush Polder. The men are being represented by attorney Dexter Todd and Associates, while State prosecutor Marisa Edwards led the questioning.
During his testimony, Singh told the court that Sanchara is his brother and explained that he became acquainted with Gopaul through him, claiming the two men were involved in cultivating marijuana plants at a farm in Cotton Tree.
According to Singh, sometime in August 2020, the trio travelled to the area and established a camp while tending to the farm. Weeks later, they reportedly returned to discover the marijuana crop had been destroyed with gramoxone, leaving the accused men enraged. Singh testified that both Sanchara and Gopaul repeatedly stated that “somebody got to pay for it.”
The court then heard Singh’s account of the day the Henry cousins were killed. He claimed that on the morning of September 5, he woke up to an argument between the accused men and Isaiah and Joel Henry over the destroyed crops.
Singh alleged that the cousins were laughing during the confrontation, further escalating tensions.
He testified that Gopaul then attacked the taller of the two boys with a “22 cutlass,” chopping him to the neck, while Sanchara allegedly attacked the other cousin moments later.
“It was nuff chops,” Singh told the court as he described the violent assault.
In one of the more chilling moments of his testimony, Singh claimed he was forced to carve an “X” mark on one of the victims’ faces after being ordered to do so by the accused men.
He further alleged that the cousins’ bodies were tied to horses and dragged away from the farming area before the men later washed themselves and disposed of bloodstained clothing.
Singh told the court that after returning home to Yakasari, he informed his sister about what had happened, but said she did not believe him. He also claimed he was threatened by the accused men and warned that he would suffer the same fate as the Henry cousins if he refused to go along with them.
The witness said he was eventually arrested alongside Gopaul on January 9, 2021, and later cooperated with investigators by leading police to the crime scene and detailing what occurred.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Dexter Todd, Singh confirmed that he had also been charged with murder and has spent the past six years behind bars. However, when pressed on several details by the defense, he repeatedly stated that he could not recall certain events.
Singh’s testimony marked the fourth day of witness hearings in the high-profile case before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Berbice High Court. The trial is expected to continue on Wednesday.
(K.News)
