Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Patentia schoolboy killing… Accused claimed victim was shot during scuffle – police witness
The man accused of killing Patentia Secondary School student, Kelvin Fraser, had claimed that the youth was shot
Dead schoolboy,
Kelvin Fraser
during a struggle. This portion of evidence was presented to the court yesterday by Police Detective Elson Baird.
Baird told the court that he had assisted with investigations into reports of alleged misconduct by a police constable.
Quacy John, of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, a policeman at the time, is alleged to have shot and killed the 16-year-old schoolboy in the vicinity of the Patentia Secondary School, West Bank Demerara.
The incident, which took place in June 7, 2010, sparked a number of protests locally and abroad. Members of the public called for an end to human rights violations and justice for the slain 16-year-old schoolboy.
John was subsequently interdicted and charged with murder. He is currently on trial at the Georgetown High Court before Justice Franklyn Holder and a mixed 12-member jury.
Detective Baird is among several witnesses, who are scheduled to testify in the murder trial, which commenced on Monday.
Among the witnesses summoned by State Prosecutor Diana Kaulesar are the school’s Head Teacher, Gloria Gobin, a former student of the school, Prem Seecharan and Ranwick Jack-Smith, a former policeman.
Yesterday, Detective Baird recalled that the accused was placed under close arrest following the shooting. He said that John had taken him to the scene of crime, where he recalled the series of incidents which led to the shooting.
The policeman said that residue of what appeared to be blood was evident at a nearby drain, approximately 600 metres away from the school.
“The young man was running, I told him to freeze and he stopped…I told him to come over the drain and he came over. I was
Accused: Quacy John
holding the gun in my left hand… the muzzle was pointed upward, I hold him (the schoolboy) with my right hand and he grabbed the gun. We started to struggle and the gun went off,” Baird told the court the accused had related to him on the day in question.
He claimed that the accused had also demonstrated to him and other investigators how the incident allegedly occurred.
John was attached to the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara, at the time of the incident. According to reports, he was on patrol with a group of other policemen when they responded to a report that a group of schoolboys were smoking what was suspected to be marijuana in the vicinity of the school. The students, who were in dressed in casual clothing, reportedly ran helter-skelter upon seeing the policemen. John, who was armed with a shotgun, is said to have fatally shot one of the schoolboys in a bid to capture him.
The shotgun which was used was tendered into evidence before the court yesterday by police witness, Inspector Corrine Marshall. Marshall also presented the Court with the cartridges from the firearm. The Inspector is expected to undergo cross examination by defence counsel Glenn Hanoman today.
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