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Court remands ex-soldier in Puruni Backdam hacking
By Zena Henry
An ex-Guyana Defense Force rank was remanded to prison on a charge of murdering
Murder suspect: 29-year-old AyodelI Woolford
29-year-old miner Travis De Souza.
Ayodelle Woolford of Nabaclis made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine- Beharry yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where he was slapped not only the murder charge but also with three additional charges.
Woolford pleaded not guilty to having in his possession 111 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking and 10 grammes of cocaine for the same purpose. It is also alleged that on April 22, last, at Chinese Creek, Puruni Backdam, in the Essequibo district; he had in his possession one .22 snub nosed revolver and live matching rounds of ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to that charge as well.
The police further alleged that on April 21 at the same location, the defendant murdered Travis De Souza of 13 Section ‘C’ Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara. To that charge he was not required to plead.
Police prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court that on the day in question around 4:30 hours the deceased and his reputed wife were in their camp when the accused went into the camp with a cutlass in hand. The defendant reportedly chopped De Souza who managed to escape outside of the camp. The accused, the prosecutor continued, reportedly pursued the victim and continued to hack him to death.
The prosecutor also told the court that the following day the police went to Red Hill Chinese Creek in the said location and came into contact with the defendant. Upon seeing the police ranks Harvey stated, Woolford began to run. The man reportedly fell into a mining pit and sustained injuries.
The prosecutor also informed the court that when Woolford was held by police, he was carrying a haversack. It was in this bag that the prohibited articles mentioned in the charges were recovered. The law men reportedly took Woolford to a medical examiner where he received treatment for his injuries. He was then charged with the offences.
Attorney-at-law Lennox Hanoman in association with Glen Hanoman represented the defendant. He told the court that Woolford is an ex-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer with a highly decorated military record and 10 citations.
He requested for his client to have an early date for the commencement of his matter since he is aware that for the crime of murder, no bail is granted. Woolford will appear at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Initial reports had stated that four men had attacked De Souza when he was in his camp with his reputed wife. She had reported to her mother-in-law, Rona De Souza, that on the morning of the incident, the men came into the camp and attacked the now dead De Souza.
She said her companion pleaded with her attackers but they did not cease their attack.
The woman said that De Souza knew his attackers and while being hacked by the men he had called out names. The De Souzas believe that their relative was killed over some articles that went missing from his camp.
Meanwhile, a post mortem which was performed on the deceased revealed that he sustained 11 incise wounds.
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