17-year-old charged for killing 4-yr-old

Oct 02, 2009 News

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A 17-year-old boy yesterday appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson to answer to eight charges, including one of causing death by dangerous driving.
The defendant, Romel Bollers, had seven additional charges added to his name, most of which are traffic related.
It is alleged that on September 20, last, the defendant rode a motorcycle, registration number unknown, in a dangerous manner to the public, causing the death of four-year-old Satesh Victor.
It is further alleged that on the same day Bollers rode a motorcycle without certificate of fitness being in force.
The third charge read to the defendant stated that he rode the said motorcycle without being the owner of a driver’s license.
Bollers did not have an insurance policy as in respect to third party risk; his fourth charge.
The motorcycle was also unregistered and he was charged for this.
Bollers was further charged for having being involved in an accident where injuries were caused and failed to render assistance to the victim.
Additionally to having being involved in the accident the defendant failed to stop after the accident; he was also charged with this offence.
The eighth and final charge read that Bollers had failed to report the accident to the police station within 24 hours.
The 17 year old chose to plead not guilty to all but the third offence; that he rode without being the owner of a drivers license.
Attorney-at-Law Basil Williams, representing the defendant, told the court “What you have before you is a scared young man.”
He argued that his client did the only thing possible by fleeing the scene of the crime and leaving the village. Boller was attacked by a mob of angry residents in the area, who were armed with “sticks and cutlasses,” he said.
According Williams, his client was proceeding along Brutus Street, Agricola at a slow rate. He went on to say that the victim was walking along the same street with several family members, when he ran into his client’s path.
According to the defense attorney, Bollers could do nothing to avoid colliding with the child, whom Williams said, tripped and “must have hit his head.”
Williams attempted to explain away the many traffic violations committed by his client by telling the court that it happens all the time.
He said, “it happens in many families”. A teen being on a motorcycle without a license, registration, insurance and certificate of fitness happens on the regular, and recommended that Bollers be placed on a reasonable amount bail.
Police Prosecutor Kevin London told the court that Bollers, on the day in question, around 18:00hrs was riding a motor cycle at a “fast rate of speed”, when four-year-old Satesh Victor was walking east along the same street, and was then struck by the defendant on the motor cycle.
The Prosecution stated the child was hurled into a lamppost, after being struck by the defendant, and sustained severe injuries.
London told the court that after the collision Bollers reportedly rode away and did not stop to render any assistance. The child was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he subsequently died from his injuries.
It was not until September 28 that the defendant reported to the Brickdam Police Station, with counsel, the prosecutor reported.
At the time that Bollers was being questioned by police, he could not produce any documents for the motorcycle.
In addition to these facts and according to the prosecution, checks were made for any reports Bollers could have made on the September 20 accident and “none were found.”
According to the child’s mother, Sushana Arjune, the child did not run out onto the road. She admitted that she was not holding the child’s hands at the time because she had her two other children in hand, but that the child was however holding onto her shirt.
Chief Magistrate Robertson (ag) decided on a $400,000 fine for the driving without a license offence with an alternative of 12 months in prison after Bollers pleaded guilty.
For every other offence however, the defendant was refused bail and is scheduled to return to court October 9.
Four-year-old Satesh Victor, of 101 Caeser Street, Agricola had his life snuffed away on September 20, after he was run over by a speeding motorcycle a short distance away from his home
Sushana Arjune said that she was carrying her three children, two in her arms, a baby and three year old son, Dinesh Victor, while Satesh was walking alongside her. The mother recalled hearing two motorcycles coming behind her, and before she could pull her son (Satesh) more into the corner, a motorcycle struck him.
According to the mother, Satesh was hurled into an electricity pole before landing in a nearby drain.
The motorcyclists then stopped and looked back before riding away.

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