Suspect in 1995 murder jailed for stabbing brother

Jul 19, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Thirty-eight-year-old gold miner, Philbert Edwards, has copped a six-month sentence for stabbing his brother, even as police are putting together a case against him for allegedly killing another man 21 years ago.
Edwards, of Princeville, Potaro, was sentenced last Thursday after appearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
He pleaded guilty to wounding his brother, Sutton Edwards, on July 9, at Princeville, Potaro, with intent to murder him.
It is alleged that the brothers had a scuffle, during which Edwards used a knife to stab his sibling.
In court, the accused pleaded with the Magistrate for leniency. He also expressed regret for his actions, and stated that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Magistrate Azore then sentenced Edwards to the minimum penalty of six months.
Police said that it was only after Edwards was arrested for wounding his brother that they learnt that he was also wanted for the 1995 murder of another miner.
The victim was David Ramcharran, of Seven Miles, Potaro, who was allegedly slain in a quarrel over cigarettes.
It is alleged that Edwards was on ‘the landing’ that day, and he bought two cartons of cigarettes. He then met Ramcharran and another man and they began to consume vodka and water. While they were drinking, Ramcharran allegedly collected Edwards’s cigarettes.
Around 22.00 hrs that day, the three men went to Ramcharran’s house at Seven Miles, Potaro, and while there, Edwards asked for his cigarettes.
According to police, Edwards alleged that Ramcharran responded by cursing him and also threatened him with a cutlass. The miner said that he fled and Ramcharran and the other man pursued him using a flashlight in their search.
Ramcharran eventually caught up with Edwards and allegedly tried to chop the miner, who allegedly stabbed Ramcharran in self-defence.
The suspect reportedly returned to Princeville, where he disposed of the knife in the Potaro River. He then headed to the back-dam to work, and later learned that Ramcharran had died.
But Edwards was arrested two Saturdays ago after he stabbed his brother. He was taken to the Mahdia Police Station, where a villager informed the police that the suspect was also wanted for Ramcharran’s murder.
Police said that a woman who had witnessed Ramcharran’s murder also gave them a statement.

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