Minibus driver remanded to prison for snatching gold chain

37-year-old Marlon Williams of ‘B’ Field Sophia appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied the charge. It is alleged that he robbed Darshanie Ramsook of a gold chain valued at $50,000. The incident occurred at Commer Street, on May 29th.
In his defense, the accused told the court that he was at home on the day in question, when the crime allegedly took place.
However, Police Prosecutor Arwin Moore told the court a different story. He said that on the day in question, Ramsook who is a nurse, was walking along Commer Street, when it is alleged that the defendant walked up to the woman and said: “Don’t make a sound” as he snatched Ramsook’s chain from her neck and made good of his escape.
The prosecutor told the court that Williams was arrested by the police two days later and was positively identified by the victim.
Moore objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness attached to the charge.
The Magistrate remanded Williams to prison until June 25th.

Moruca farmer charged with stealing GWI Solar Panels

Omar Castello, a  24-year-old farmer from Moruca, North West District appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and was charged with stealing three solar panels valued $450,000, property of GWI.
 He pleaded not guilty to the offence. The incident took place on May 21st.
His attorney, Priyanka Sookraj made an application for bail on the grounds that the defendant is the sole breadwinner for his 4-year-old child.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, did not object to bail and after listening to the application, the  Acting Chief Magistrate released Castello on $100,000 dollars bail. The matter was transferred to the Aquiro Magistrates’ Court for July 6.

Murder suspect appeared in court after 18 years on the run

Deonarine Bhikari appeared in the Vigilance Magistrates’ court this morning before Magistrate Peter Hugh and was not required to plea to the indictable charge. He was charged with the murder of Daniel Singh, which he allegedly committed 18 years ago.
Singh was hacked to death, after he disapproved a relationship between his daughter and the man. The brutal murder was witnessed by the man’s children who were just 10 and 12 years old at the time.

53 yr. old Bhikari, was on the run since the murder happened in May 2000, until last Saturday, when he was arrested at a house in Enmore, East Coast Demerara. At the court this morning, family members of Singh packed the courtroom to listen to the case. They were elated that justice was served in the matter. 
The family is thankful to God for answering their prayers.
As the suspect was escorted by the police to the lockups, family members were heard saying that “his time was up”. The suspect was reportedly hiding out in neighbouring Venezuela. Bhikari was remanded to prison until June 15th.

“Oteshia” charged with engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy

 After weeks of investigation well known commercial sex worker Otis “Oteshia,” Pearson was today charged with engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy. Pearson was arraigned this morning before
Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where he was not required to plea to the indictable charge.
The charge read that on December 24, 2017, at Station Street, Kitty he caused the 14-year-old boy to perform a sexual act; that is to say, penetrate his anus.
Otesha was represented by Attorney-at-law Ronald Burch-Smith who was successful in securing bail for him.
Magistrate Daly released Pearson on $300,000 bail and transferred the matter to Chief Magistrates Ann McLennan for June 19.
The matter was under probe by the Child Care and Protection Agency and the Police after images surfaced with Person and the boy on social media.
Pearson took to social media and local television stations after the photograph was posted. Otesha proudly boasted that he “has a boy for every day of the week”, but quickly backpedal saying that his statement was taken out of context.

Man freed on dangerous driving charge

A 47-year-old employee of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) today walked free on a causing death by dangerous driving charge. The man was charged for the November 2017 Barr and James Street, Albouyston accident which left 19-year-old motorcyclist Ronaldo Jaundoo dead.

In the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore freed Dwayne Gonsalves due to insufficient evidence.

Gonsalves was out on $600,000 pre-trial liberty.  The charge read that he drove motor pickup GVV 8249 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Jaundoo, called “Beetle.”

According to reports, on the day in question, the motor pickup driven by Gonsalves was proceeding north on Barr Street, while motorcycle CH 9086, ridden by Jaundoo, was proceeding east on the northern side of James Street when they collided.

Jaundoo was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A breathalyzer test was administered on Gonsalves but the results negative for alcohol.

Prison escapee committed to stand trial for 2017 murder

A Kitty man was today committed to stand trial in the High Court for the 2017 murder of Sunil Singh. The decision was handed down by Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the end of the preliminary inquiry, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ court.

On February 5, 2017, at Owen Street, Kitty, Shawn Harris allegedly murdered Sunil Singh called ‘Grey’. Singh was stabbed several times about his body the murder took place in the vicinity of the Blue Martini nightclub in Kitty.

Harris was represented by Attorney-at-law Paul Fung-a-Fat during the preliminary inquiry. There are reports that Singh was trying to make peace during an altercation between an employee of the club and the suspect. The incident occurred after two men were trying to enter the club after the close of business.

Charles Valenzuela, an employee of the club was stabbed during the altercation but he was treated at the hospital and sent away while Singh succumbed to his injuries.

Harris was among 13 prisoners who escaped from the Lusignan Prison last year. He was later arrested in Mocha on the East Bank of Demerara. Harris was sentenced to a year in prison for the escaping from lawful custody.

Prison officers deny confessing to ownership of marijuana

Two prison officers will be sharing cell space with inmates they were employed to watch over after they charged and remanded for drug trafficking.

The officers 22-year-old Cleveland Cross and 24-year-old Abdool Farook appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to the charges.

The young officers were jointly charged with having 434 grams of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking on May 27.

The Court was told that the Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels acting information contacted the police force with intelligence received, the men were found by the officers at Avenue of Republic. A search was carried out on the two and the drugs found in Cross’s haversack. According to Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, Cross said he was given the drugs by Farook to keep which was corroborated by Farook.

However, the men denied the charge with Farook through his attorney Moti Singh told the court that the drugs were not found on his client but on the other prisoner officer in the vehicle.

It was reported that one of the officers accepted $20,000 to take the drugs into the prison. This bust came some weeks after prison officials launched an investigation as to how inmates were able to access alcohol and drugs in their cells on Mother’s Day.

A pregnant woman who is also a mother of 3 gets slapped with manslaughter charge

Melissa Cylus, who is currently 5 months pregnant, appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plea to the indictable charge.
 It is alleged that on May 13th at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, she unlawfully killed 32-year-old Julian Anthony Reberio. The man was allegedly strangled by the woman.
According to the police, Cylus initially told them that her husband went home intoxicated and fell in the house; as a result, she rushed him to the Diamond Diagnostic Center where he succumbed.
The woman’s story quickly changed and she told investigators that they had an altercation and she became annoyed and strangled him.
A post-mortem revealed that Reberio died from asphyxiation due to compression injuries to the neck.
Cylus was released on $200,000 bail and the matter was adjourned until July 18th.