‘Grey Boy’ finally released

Jun 10, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

By Feona Morrison

Regan Rodrigues, who was accused of killing political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing, has been released from police custody. This was confirmed by Commander of Police ‘A’ Division, Marlon Chapman, who related that the former murder accused was let go yesterday.
The release of Rodrigues also known as ‘Grey Boy’ comes almost two days after Magistrate Judy Latchman discharged him on the murder charge, for the second time this week, maintaining that there was insufficient evidence against him to stand trial at the High Court for the capital offence.
He was discharged on Monday at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI), but was arrested by police minutes after.
The following day the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, in a letter addressed to Magistrate Latchman said, “In accordance with Section 72 (2) (ii) (a) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01, I hereby remit to Your Worship the above-mentioned matter and direct you to comply with Section 65 and 66 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01 with a view of committing the accused.”
But Magistrate Latchman declined to comply with the DPP’s order, citing that she had already discharged the matter, and that the DPP could not direct her to commit Rodrigues to stand trial under that section of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01.
The next day, she received another letter by the DPP, which she read out loud, and told Rodrigues that she had to comply with the law. Magistrate Latchman pointed out that while the DPP is of the “opinion” that there is evidence against Rodrigues for the indictable offence, her court maintains there is not sufficient evidence against Rodrigues in relation to murder committed on Crum-Ewing.
Nevertheless, the Magistrate re-opened the PI.
In compliance with Section 66 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01, the Magistrate asked Rodrigues what he had to say in answer to the charge.
An emotional Rodrigues said, “I’m innocent. I don’t know anything. The police (rank) (name called) put a gun in my house and said I swim across the Demerara River. Two times I get free from this charge.” The former murder accused declined to call witness when asked by the Magistrate who complied with Section 67 of the of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01
Magistrate Latchman retired to her chambers.
Within minutes she returned to the courtroom upholding her previous ruling that there was not sufficient evidence (prima facie case) against Rodrigues.
She again discharged Rodrigues and told him he was free to go.
The police arrested Rodrigues again.
It is still unclear on what basis he was arrested on both occasions and kept at the Golden Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara.
In her ruling, the Magistrate pointed out that while the court was satisfied that Crum-Ewing was shot with a gun retrieved from a house at Riverview, Ruimveldt, which was occupied by Rodrigues. There was no evidence that Rodrigues “used the gun, pulled the trigger and shot Crum-Ewing.”
Magistrate Latchman said that she believed that Crum–Ewing died as a result of haemorrhage and shock due to multiple gunshot wounds as testified by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who revealed that Crum-Ewing received five gunshot wounds – one of which was at close range. In relation to 14 oral statements given to police by Rodrigues, the Magistrate ruled that they did not implicate Rodrigues in the murder.
The same Magistrate had also discharged the murder charge against Rodrigues on September 14, 2016 at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry as a result of insufficient evidence.
However, in March, last, the DPP ordered that the matter be reopened for the taking of further evidence from police witnesses and to rule on the voluntariness of all oral statements made by Rodrigues. As a result, Rodrigues was arrested on Good Friday and was taken before Magistrate Latchman on April 18. He was remanded to prison.
According to reports, the bullet-riddled body of Crum-Ewing was found at Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme East Bank Demerara on March 10, 2015. The 40-year-old was shot twice to the temple, once to the back of the head and twice to the stomach.
The police in a statement had said that the political activist was accosted by four men in a car, one of whom discharged several rounds, hitting him about the body. It was reported that the killer (s) used a .32 pistol to execute Crum-Ewing.
Minutes before he was gunned down, he was reportedly heard via bullhorn urging residents of the neighbourhood to vote against the then-ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic.