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Accused in Emancipation day killing walks free
The man accused of killing Plantain Chip vendor Sherwin Simon was acquitted of the murder charge, earlier this week.
Tony Collymore of Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara was accused of murdering the 20-year-old plantain chip vendor, during an altercation on August 1, 2012.
Tony Collymore, after his arrest in 2012
Simon, of South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, was allegedly stabbed to his chest with an ice pick, in the vicinity of America and Longden Streets, Georgetown while in the company of his elder brother.
The victim and the accused were said to have had an ongoing feud over “name-calling” which had resulted in several fights prior to his death.
Reports are that Simon and the accused were embroiled in a heated argument moments before he was stabbed.
Simon was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he succumbed after a brief period of hospitalisation.
Collymore was on trial at the Georgetown Supreme Court, before Justice Franklyn Holder and a mixed 12-member jury.
He was represented by Attorney -at- Law, Euclin Gomes.
During the trial, several witnesses were summoned by State Prosecutor, Diana Kaulesar including the victim’s elder brother, Sherwin Simon.
Simon had told the court that he saw the incident which led to his brother’s death. He said that he would usually accompany his brother to ‘walk and sell’ plantain chips for a living.
Simon related that he and his brother had left their Better Hope home on Emancipation Day that year to sell plantain chips in the city.
The witness had testified that he was about 15 feet away on America Street when he observed Collymore “firing juks” at his brother with an ice-pick.
Simon said that his brother received injuries to the left side of his chest and neck.
He had testified that he witnessed a “scramble,” between the accused and his brother but while under cross examination by the defence, Simon claimed he had not seen that.
As such, the Defence Attorney asked the jury to find that the evidence given by the state’s star witness had not been straightforward.
On Thursday, Justice Holder reviewed the evidence and concluded that the elements of murder had not been proven by the Prosecution.
He, therefore, directed the Jury to return a verdict of not guilty thereby setting Collymore free. (Rehanna Ramsay)
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