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‘Targeted’ accused makes court appearance
Murder accused Shawn Smith
“Your worship I have always been a target of the police since I was exonerated for another murder some five years ago,” were the words of 25-year-old Shawn Smith, of Alberttown, when he appeared yesterday before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, to answer the charge of murder.
It is alleged that between January 18 and 19 last, Smith murdered 64-year-old Hector Fitzroy Marshall. Smith was not required to plead since the charge was indictable.
Smith insisted that he is “totally innocent”. He further told the court that the reason that he was before the court stems from another murder which took place on Duncan Street a few years ago.
Smith said that he was charged but was later exonerated in the High Court, when one of the witnesses told the court that he was not the person whom he saw committing the murder.
Smith noted that he was imprisoned for five years and nine months on the previous occasion. The accused explained to the presiding magistrate that after that had transpired he has always been a target of the police.
Police Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews told the court that the address which the accused gave to the court is different from that which he gave to the police. Matthews said that he (Smith) was living in South Ruimveldt when the murder happened. He was remanded to prison and is expected to make his next court appearance on February 20.
Worried neighbours went calling for Hector Marshall last week Monday, only to discover that the pensioner had being strangled at his Lot 362 Powis Close, South Ruimveldt home. The pensioner’s feet and hands were bound together with pieces of clothing from his home. He was also gagged.
Neighbours at the scene of the crime speculated that the man might have been killed after he had spoken about collecting a substantial amount of money from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).
They noted that Marshall would never keep substantial amounts of cash in the house. One neighbour told Kaieteur News that Marshall had told them that he was waiting for the money to accumulate so that he could repair his house.
Marshall was a former Personnel Officer attached to the Ministry of Information and later Personnel Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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