Ryan Roberts, 22, a vendor of Lot 41 Hadfield Street, Lodge has been charged for the death of Vincent Barkley of ‘D’ Norton Street, Lodge, who was killed early Thursday morning on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.
Ryan Roberts
Roberts entered a not guilty response to the causing death charge, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry last Friday.
His attorney, Melvin Duke, asked for bail. The lawyer claimed that his client has a clean criminal record and poses no risk of flight. Duke claimed that the pedal cyclist was the one who swerved into his client’s path, causing the collision.
The prosecution did not object to bail but asked that the bail be set at a substantial amount in addition to the defendant lodging his passport. Roberts was granted $400,000.
According to police, investigations have revealed the accused was driving motor car PKK 5970 at a fast rate along Mandela Avenue when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with Barkley, a pedal cyclist, who was proceeding in the opposite direction on the other side of the road.
The victim, a father of four young children, was heading home after conducting his routine morning prayers at a nearby Masjid.
According to one eyewitness, Barkley’s twisted body was hurled onto a nearby parapet while the car turned turtle in a wash bay on Mandela Avenue.
Both Barkley and the driver were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where Barkley was pronounced dead on arrival.