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Cousin describes finding murder victim’s lifeless body

The cousin of murder victim Shane Minors this morning described finding his lifeless body to Supreme Court.Demani Burchall said he went out drinking with Mr Minors and two friends, Ed Wolffe and Annon Smith, on the night of the shooting.He said they sat in Mr Smith’s car for more than an hour on their return home, before Mr Minors decided to go inside.A short while later, Mr Burchall said he heard a gunshot. He said he looked outside but didn’t see anything so he returned to sleep.The next morning, he went to Mr Minors’ apartment and discovered his body at the bottom of the stairs.“I knew it when I touched his hand. I didn’t know he got shot; I thought he fell down his steps,” he said. “I felt the cold. No life.”Mr Minors, 30, was fatally shot on December 17, 2009.His body was found in a stairwell leading to his lower floor apartment on South Terrace, Pembroke.Ronniko Burchall, 22, and Leroy Symons, 21, have both been charged with his murder.Mr Burchall is also charged with using a firearm to commit murder.Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.The jury was also shown footage of a January 3, 2010 police interview with Mr Symons regarding the shooting this morning.In the interview, Mr Symons told officers that he heard gunshots on December 17 while leaving the house where the mother of his child lived.He denied having any other knowledge of the incident.“I’ve got no problem with Shane,” he said. “I’m cool with his daughter. I did not shoot Shane.”The trial will continue this afternoon.