A recap of court cases for 2015

Dec 27, 2015 News

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By Feona Morrison

Every year hundreds of people are separated from their families during the Christmas season due to them being incarcerated. Even though relatives are allowed to visit their loved ones in prison, spending the holidays in jail can be a difficult time for inmates.
But to many of these inmates, during the holidays, a day in prison is no different from any other day. Many prisoners and ex-prisoners would confess that penitentiaries are no bed of roses. There are constant outbreaks of gang wars and violence behind those walls making one always having to be on the alert.
Being locked up around this time means that there will be no festive decorations, or lights to deck the halls. There certainly would be no presents under a Christmas tree.
As the year comes closer to an end, several individuals have been jailed for a number of crimes. Many of them have also been remanded pending the outcome of a trial. For the year there have been an alarming number of murders, drug trafficking, break and enter and larcenies, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition among other charges that were laid against individuals.
However, many of these persons were fortunate to be granted bail, while many other were shunted off to prison
Armed robberies were prevalent throughout the year. On a daily basis, many Magistrates, particularly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts would refuse to grant bail to persons accused of these kind of offences.
Two Fridays ago, Devon Wilson of Blueberry Hill, Linden, was jailed for three years by the Chief Magistrate after he pleaded guilty to robbing four women at knife-point. His victims must be relieved; they may have a safer holiday now that he is behind bars.

The case of Deon Marks was well talked about. Marks also known as Donde Forde of Lot 56 Kaneville Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara was shot to an eye during a standoff with the police. He is now one eye less.
This man has been accused of carrying out a spate of gun-point robberies at Grove, East Bank Demerara.
He was also taken before Providence Magistrate, Alex Moore, on December 18, to answer to three armed robbery charges, a charge of possession of illegal firearm and ammunition and two charges of discharging a loaded firearm. Marks was remanded to prison.
When gunmen robbed and terrorised Land Court Judge, Nicola Pierre and her husband, Mohamed Chan at their home in the gated community of Felicity, East Coast Demerara there were many calls on the police to take further actions to combat crime.
Four men have been charged for the act perpetrated on the Commissioner of Titles. The accused, Warren Mc Kenzie, 22, of Lot 18 Brutus Street, Agricola; Damien Millington, 22, of Lot 118 Caesar Street, Agricola; Nicholas Narine, 18, also of Caesar Street Agricola; Premnauth Samaroo and Anthony David, 28 of 63 Hadfield Street, Stabroek, will usher in the New Year from behind bars.

The men allegedly inflicted a brutal beating on the Land Court Judge and her husband after overpowering an on-duty Special Constable and storming the couple’s home located in a gated community. The suspects were captured after members of the SWAT Team smashed a gang of about 10 men at an apartment in Craig, East Bank Demerara, last July.
The gang and the police came under rapid gunfire which resulted in wanted man Rolston Morrison a/k ‘Sadam’ or ‘Mappy’ being killed.
For 25 year-old Dellon Henry a/k “Nasty Man”, prison has been like a second home for him. As a teenager he was sent to prison for an array of serious offences. Now that he is an adult it seems as though bad always seems to follow him.
Henry of Lot 53 Houston Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara is currently a remand prisoner after he pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal firearm and ammunition possession. The police allegedly found him with a gun on October 2, at Agricola.
He is also on remand for the murder of East Ruimveldt footballer, Dexter Griffith.
Regan Rodrigues a/k ‘Grey Boy’, who has been remanded for the murder of political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing, will know his fate next month as it relates to charges of illegal firearm and ammunition possession.
Former murder accused, Shawn Thom, found himself in trouble with the law again. Thom of Third Street, Alexander Village is said to be part of a gang responsible for trailing and robbing incoming passengers from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
According to reports, on October 7, the off duty cop had gone to the CJIA to pick up a relative, when he noticed a yellow IST following him all the way to the airport.
It was reported that the rank contacted his colleagues, informing them about what he had noticed.
Kaieteur News understands that the police turned up close to the rank’s home in Kitty and waited for him to arrive from the airport. When the rank arrived in front of his home, a car with three men stopped a corner away from his home. Two of the gunmen reportedly exited the vehicle and were liming at a bridge, while one remained in the car.
The gunmen and the police came under heavy gunfire, which left Thom with an injured right foot. Despite his injury, Thom was placed before the Chief Magistrate on his birthday. He and his alleged accomplice, Collis Collison, 23, of South Better Hope, East Bank Demerara were ordered remanded after being slapped with charges of illegal gun and ammo possession. And also a charge of discharging a loading firearm at the off duty cop.
On November 3, money changers on America Street were sent scattering after they were attacked by gunmen on CG bicycles. It was reported that about ten gunmen attired in black robbed and terrorized the money changers.
It was reported that the bandits arrived on Honda CG motorcycles and in a car. In the end, they carted off cash and jewellery. Several Ak47, M70 and 9mm spent shells were recovered from the crime scene.
Calvin Johnson, 34, of Lot 154 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, Troy Abrams and Anthony Primo, 29, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown have since been charged with robbing Rayburn Fraser and Osafo Ward at gunpoint. They allegedly robbed the men of a large sum of cash.
They too will spend the holidays in jail after being remanded.
Shifting attention to drug trafficking, two St. Lucian women were jailed for a total of 90 months for having cocaine stashed in their vaginas in a dildo-shaped package. The women, thirty eight year-old, Chermisa Wheeler, a cosmetologist; and her 48-year-old cousin, Andree Willy, a babysitter pleaded guilty to separate drug trafficking charges.
They admitted to having a total of 386 grams of cocaine in their possession for trafficking. In addition to the prison terms the two cousins were ordered to pay a total fine of $347,000.

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