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Prisoner charged with murdering cop
Four days after a Corporal from the Criminal Investigation Department was shot dead while on duty, the Chief Magistrate indicted an inmate of the Georgetown Prisons on a murder charge.
Delon Adams being escorted from the court
The indictment out of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday saw Delon Abrams, 23, of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, being charged with the murder of Detective Corporal 14998 Silburn Elias on Monday last at Alberttown, Georgetown.
The charge detailed that Corporal Elias was a member of the Guyana Police Force and was at that time acting in the execution of his duties. Abrams, who was unrepresented by legal counsel, was not required to plead to the capital offence since the matter was deemed indictable.
On Monday last, Elias was shot dead after he reportedly went into a yard in Fourth Street, Alberttown, to recapture an escaped prisoner and recover his colleague’s gun.
Reading from the case docket, Mangru explained that Abrams was arrested on January 6 by Lance Corporal Ramdat at Sophia, Greater Georgetown, for an alleged break and enter and larceny. He reported that the remanded prisoner was beaten by public-spirited citizens who caught him and later handed him over to the police.
As a result of the trashing, Abrams had received injuries and was taken to the Sophia Health Centre where he was seen by a medical doctor who then referred him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for an x-tray.
The Prosecution explained that he was escorted by the Lance Corporal and others, amongst who was a Constable Greene who was armed with his service .38 revolver. When at the hospital, the prisoner was left with Constable Greene, whose responsibility was to ensure that Abrams was x-rayed and received medical treatment.
Mangru said, however, the accused whose hands were handcuffed at the time requested to use the washroom and was granted the chance to do same. After a short while Abrams exited the washroom with the handcuff slinging on only one of his hands.
A scuffled then allegedly ensued between Constable Greene and the accused, but Abrams managed to overpower the policeman, relieve him of his firearm and escape.
In response, Constable Greene raised an alarm and Abrams was pursued by police ranks who caught up with him in a yard at Fourth Street, Alberttown. Mangru explained that Corporal Elias then spotted Abrams stooping under a step with the gun in his hand.
Corporal Elias reportedly confronted the accused and demanded he hand over the weapon, but the prisoner pointed the gun in the Corporal’s direction and discharged several rounds.
According to the prosecution, the officer was hit. He added however, that ASP Taylor had also discharged four rounds from an AK-47 rifle. Corporal Elias was rushed to GPHC where he was pronounced dead.
Nonetheless, a Post Mortem examination was conducted and a warhead of a .38 revolver was retrieved from the cop’s body.
The accused was recaptured and whilst under caution reportedly admitted to discharging the rounds. Mangru claimed that further investigations were conducted, hence the present charge was instituted against Abrams.
The prosecutor told the court that investigations are not yet complete. He requested four weeks for the police to finish.
Abrams is expected to return to court on March 3.
The Chief Magistrate informed the man who stood silently in the prisoners’ dock that when the police on that date report that the investigations are completed, a date will be set for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI).
The deceased was a father of four who resided at Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara. Corporal Elias had spent the last 25 years in the Guyana Police Force.
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