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Shooting death at Subryanville hotel… DPP assigns Special Prosecutor to handle case
Remanded: Erwin Bacchus
A Special Prosecutor has been assigned to prosecute the case involving hotelier Erwin Bacchus, who is charged with the murder of his neighbour, Jason De Florimonte.
This is the latest action taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who recommended that Bacchus be charged with murder, after he was initially charged with manslaughter.
Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd will prosecute the case.
The move to assign a Special Prosecutor instead of a Police Prosecutor comes after De Florimonte’s relatives complained to the Police Complaints Authority and the Crime Chief about several alleged discrepancies involving the manner in which the case was being handled by the police.
Bacchus, 45, of Fifth Avenue, Sheriff Street, Subryanville, Georgetown and the owner of the Subryanville Hotel is currently on remand.
It s alleged that Bacchus murdered Jason De Florimonte on August 4, last, at Subryanville.
The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the matter was scheduled to commence yesterday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
However, when the matter was called, Special Prosecutor, Dexter Todd told the court that the Prosecution is not ready to begin.
Special Prosecutor: Dexter Todd
Advancing reasons, Todd told the court that after perusing the case file, he noticed that some of the statements were not written or photocopied properly.
He added that he will need more time to get the file organised so that when the PI commences, it will be a “smooth flow.”
The Magistrate adjourned the matter until October 10, for commencement of the PI.
The DPP made the decision to charge Bacchus with murder after the Post Mortem (PM) report submitted revealed that the injuries De Florimonte received were consistent with murder and not manslaughter.
Bacchus is being represented by Attorneys-at-law, Glenn Hanoman and Nigel Hughes.
The lawyers representing Bacchus are still contending that their client was trying to defend himself after he was attacked by De Florimonte who was at the time allegedly armed with a knife and a rolling pin.
Hughes added that a handyman who works for Bacchus saw De Florimonte beating his girlfriend in front of the hotel and tried to
Dead: Jason De Florimonte
rescue the woman.
Hughes added that De Florimonte became upset and armed himself with a knife and a rolling pin and advanced towards the handyman.
De Florimonte then allegedly began to stab at the handyman who then ran into the hotel to save his life but was followed by De Florimonte.
The court heard that while the handyman was running up the hotel stairs, De Florimonte caught up with him and once again began to stab at him.
Bacchus, the lawyers, said, in an attempt to save the handyman’s life told De Florimonte to stop harming his worker.
However, De Florimonte turned his attention on the hotelier.
Hughes stated that his client became fearful for his life and in an attempt to scare De Florimonte fired two warning shots in the air.
The attorney alleged that De Florimonte continued to advance towards his client who shot him once in the chest and fired two shots in his direction, the lawyers added.
However, police state that on the day in question, around 01:00 hrs De Florimonte was seen abusing a female and the handyman went to part them. Soon after, an argument ensued between them.
The court was told that De Florimonte began attacking the handyman with a knife and rolling pin. It was then that Bacchus fired several shots at De Florimonte causing him to sustain injuries.
According to information, an autopsy conducted on 30-year-old De Florimonte, of 96 Fifth Avenue Subryanville, revealed that he was shot three times about his body.
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