From manslaughter to murder. Businessman who shot and killed a father of three now facing a murder charge.

Businessman Erwin Bacchus is now facing a murder charge. This was after the  Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the manslaughter charge and instituted the new charge today in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The new charge was read to him when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman. He was remanded to prison.
The businessman who owns the Tourist Villa Hotel shot and killed Jason  De Florimonte in Subryanville back in August. Bacchus was charged for manslaughter and was released on $1.5Million dollars bail. This angered relatives of the dead man who are still crying out for justice.
 This latest development is not sitting well with Bacchus’ attorney, Nigel Hughes, who told the court that it is an abuse of power by the DPP.

Bacchus was released on $1.5million dollars bail on the manslaughter charge when he first appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
 His lawyer, Nigel Hughes, told the court that his client acted in self-defence. He noted that on the day in question there was an altercation in the hotel’s parking lot between the hotel’s handyman and De Florimonte after the handyman reportedly caught Jason beating his girlfriend, which she still denies. The handyman told officers that Jason was armed with a knife and a rolling pin and he attacked him.
The attorney also told the court that his client fired two warning shots to the ground, but this did not stop Jason. The young man was shot multiple times about his body and succumbed to his injuries. Bacchus is a liscensed firearm holder.
Police Prosecutor, Neville Jeffers said some 20 witnesses are to be called during the Preliminary Inquiry.
The matter was adjourned to September 25th for reports on the Post  Mortem examination and October 3rd for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry.

Construction worker remanded for trafficking in narcotics

The  53-year-old  man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and was remanded prison until October 8th.
The court heard that on September 15, 2018,  Andrew Jordan, a construction worker of Lot 15 Craig Street, Campbellville had 100 grams of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The man pleaded not guilty to the charge. Jordan was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Stanley Moore who made an unsuccessful application for bail.
CANU prosecutor  Kunyo Sandiford told the court that ranks from the Customs Anti-narcotics Unit acting on information received, went to Jordan’s  Craig Street home and conducted a search.
The drugs were found in Jordan’s refrigerator and he allegedly told the CANU officers that he was “trying a thing.”

Cigarette row murder suspect charged and remanded 

Matthew Parks, a 20-year-old youth from East La Penitence was today charged with the murder of 22-yr-old GWI, employee Roger Allen.
 Allen was stabbed by the suspect at the corners of Durban and Chapel Streets on September 13th and succumbed to his injuries hours later.
Parks was arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, where the indictable charge was read to him. He was not required to plea to the charge and was remanded to prison until October 10th.
Roger Allen dead man
Durban and Princess Street residents said that the murder stemmed from a row over cigarettes. The incident started at a shop on Durban Street and ended at the corner of Durban and Chapel Streets.
The man was helped by residents who took him in a car to the hospital. The residents said that the men had an ongoing problem, but it escalated after Roger went to the shop to buy cigarettes and was accused by the suspect of touching all the cigarettes in the pack.
At the court this morning, Allen’s relatives broke down in tears, while the dead man’s sister asked Parks why he killed her brother.
According to the police report, Allen visited the Mini Mart where Parks worked at earlier on the day in question.
There are reports that Parks left his workplace and was confronted by Allen who was reportedly armed with a piece of wood and a knife.
According to the Police, a scuffle ensued and both men received injuries, but Allen’s aunt says her nephew was not an aggressive person. The woman said her nephew did not start any fight with Parks.

16 year old charged with the murder of pensioner remanded to prison

With his face hidden from the cameras and dressed in his school pants, the 16-year-old Buxton youth appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh in the Cove and John Magistrates’ court to face the murder charge.
 The youth was charged for the murder of 72-year-old pensioner  Krishnachand Dabee of Annandale, East Coast Demerara, who was killed during an alleged home invasion back in August, this year. The matter was called via camera.
The youth was hauled before the court just days after the police cracked the case late last week and arrested two youths for the murder. There are reports that the youths were part of a gang operating around the area. The boy will make his next court appearance on October 8th and the matter was transferred to the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court.

Cops charged and released on $20,000 bail each for wrongful detention and assault of taxi driver 

An Assistant Superintendent of Police and a Corporal were today arraigned in Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrates Ann McLennan where they were charged with wrongful detention and assault.
Mahendra Singh, 32, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, of Pike Street Kitty was charged with wrongfully restraining Perry Barker from leaving the Coin Restaurant And Bar on August 15th at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, while Corporal Christopher Dharamraj, 30 was charged with assaulting Barker on the same day. Both men denied the charges and were released on $20,000 bail each. Attorney-at-law, Bernard Da Sliva represented the men. The court heard that  Singh was controlling the bar in partnership with Dharamraj.
Perry allegedly entered the Restaurant and was involved in an argument with the Policemen. The man alleges that he was assaulted by Dharamraj while Singh pushed him into a toilet and locked the door.
Perry, a taxi driver managed free himself and reported that matter to the Police. The police Office of Professional Responsibility was called in to investigate the claims made by Perry which resulted in the men being charged. The two cops will return to court on September 24th.

Albouystown woman busted with cocaine at CJIA

A 35-year-old Albouystown woman was today busted with cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit.

CANU in a press release said Shellon Yolanda Barrow of 135 Victoria Street, Albouystown was intercepted by a CANU rank at CJIA attempting to board a flight destined for Jamaica with suspected Cocaine concealed in a false wall of a hardcover suitcase. The cocaine according to CANU weight 1.638 kg or 3 pounds. The woman was intercepted sometime after midnight.

Barrow is in custody along with another woman for her role in the enterprise, the release said.

This bust comes days after another Guyanese woman was bused with cocaine at the JFK.

Court was in session at Palm Court as the trial into the wounding incident involving Trinidadian Artiste Rodney LeBlanc, known as Benjai continues

The crime scene was revisited by Magistrate Faith McGusty along with lawyers representing both the accused and the defendant.
Benjai was cross-examined by lawyers for the accused, while his manager, DJ and the accused Maverick DeAbreau all testified at the nightclub.
Benjai was seen describing the incident to the Magistrate and the lawyers and demonstrated what unfolded when he left the nightclub. De Abreu, was charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding the soca artist back in September 2017. Benjai received fifteen stitches from the injuries to his face.
De Abreau was released on $50,00 dollars bail.
Attorney-at-law Keith Scotland,  who is representing Benjai said the onsite visit was needed to get a firsthand look at measurements and evidence of what transpired when the soca artiste was injured.
The trial will continue on 25th October 2018.

Taxi driver charged with raping a 13-year-old girl Released on $400,000 bail

 22-year-old Tevin Vickerie appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the  Georgetown Magistrates’ Court this morning and was not required to plea to the charge.
The allegation which was read in the court revealed that during the month of January, 2018 at Soesdyke/Linden Highway, Vickerie sexually penetrated a child under the age of 16.
Vickerie was released on $400,000 dollars bail and the matter will be heard again on September 19th.
There are reports that Vickerie and the child are known to each other. This newscast understands that the man would normally pick her up at home and take her to and from school. It is alleged that  Vickerie drove past the teen’s home to a lonely area along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
It was while the teen was in the car Vickerie allegedly locked the doors of the car and jumped in to the back seat where the teen was seated. The man asked the girl for sex and she refused. This apparently upset the man who then allegedly forced himself on the child.
After he allegedly committed the act the taxi-driver then took the girl home.
The girl began to cry and complain about pain in her stomach and told her relatives that she was raped. The matter was immediately reported to the police.

Hairdresser sentenced to four years in prison, fined $2.3Million after she confessed to trafficking  2 1/2lbs of cocaine.

The woman was an outgoing passenger on flight BW 526 destined for JFK, New York when she was busted with the drugs. The drugs were found in her vaginal cavity wrapped in plastic.
The suspected cocaine was busted between September 10th and 11th, 2018 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. The woman was subjected to an X-ray which showed foreign objects in her stomach.
Today, Karen Stuffle of East Ruimveldt appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and confessed to the drug trafficking charge.
CANU Prosecutor Kunyo Sandiford told the court that Stuffle excreted 100 cocaine pellets.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant while at CANU headquarters gave a detailed statement which led to the arrest of three other persons involved, while a fourth person is on the run.
Stuffle was reportedly given $400USD and also had her plane ticket paid for by her alleged recruiters. In the court today, Stuffle was tearful as she said she was sorry and said it would not happen again.

A Father of three was today charged with the murder of his 21-year-old son

44-year-old Mohan Sookdeo, today appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune in the Cove and John Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to Prison until October 2nd. He was slapped with the indictable charge of murder for killing his son, Satesh Sookdeo at their 217 Fifth Street, Foulis, East Coast Demerara home last Saturday. The boy was stabbed when he came to the aid of his mother who was involved in an altercation with his father. Sookdeo seemed unfazed as he walked in and out of the court.
Neighbours said the young man died in his mother’s arms.
 According to a report from the Police, their initial investigations revealed that the suspect and his spouse had an argument and he held her by the neck and began to choke her.
The release added that when the victim and another sibling intervened, the suspect then allegedly broke a window pane and fatally stabbed the victim in his stomach area.