Man, 58, jailed for killing motorcyclist

Jan 28, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

A 58-year-old man was yesterday jailed for three years after he was convicted for causing death

JAILED: Andrew Alder

by dangerous driving.
Andrew Alder, of Lot 616 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was found guilty of the offence yesterday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the conclusion of a trial in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Alder was found guilty of driving motorcar PMM 3981, in a manner dangerous to the public on March 6, 2016, thereby causing the death of Dinesh Bissoon.
The accident occurred on Houston Access Road, East Bank Demerara.
During her ruling yesterday, the Chief Magistrate said that she was satisfied with the evidence presented by Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers.
Chief Magistrate McLennan gave a synopsis of the facts of the matter.
The Chief Magistrate also recapped the testimony of Alder, who was called on to lead a defence after she ruled that there was sufficient evidence against him at the close of the prosecution’s case.
However, the Chief Magistrate underscored that Alder’s testimony was not logical.
During an unsworn testimony Alder told the court that it was Bissoon who was riding a motorcycle which collided with the vehicle he was driving.
Alder said that on the day in question; he was heading to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to pick up two of his relatives when the accident occurred.
He further said that it was around 06:30hrs, when he was driving south along the Houston Access Road. According to Alder, the motorcycle that Bissoon was riding was heading in the opposite direction when it slammed into the driver’s side of his vehicle.
“How this thing happen…I didn’t expect he (Bissoon) to roll over to my side. I stopped and a police vehicle with some TSU (Tactical Service Unit) ranks stopped.”
Alder recalled that a police rank marked off the point of impact and instructed him to remove his vehicle; he refused. He stated that several traffic ranks later arrived at the scene.
The convict told the court that a witness who had testified on behalf of the prosecution reported the accident to the Ruimveldt Police Station.
Alder recalled that the injured man was picked up and placed in a motorcar and transported to the hospital. He further said that he explained what had transpired to police and was told to go down to the police station. He pointed out that he never saw police ranks taking photographs of the accident scene.
Alder added that he was held in custody for 72 hours and was released on $40,000 bail. A few weeks after the accident, Alder related that he was informed that Bissoon had succumbed at the hospital.
Chief Magistrate McLennan highlighted that Bissoon died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. According to the Chief Magistrate, Alder failed to exercise care, caution, consideration, common sense and courtesy while traversing the roadway on the day in question.
On this note, she stressed that Alder fell below the standard of a competent driver.
Patrice Henry, Alder’s attorney, had pleaded with the court to impose a non-custodial sentence on his client. But instead, the Chief Magistrate jailed Alder.
Alder had been out on $300,000 bail.

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