Latest update April 4th, 2025 6:13 AM
Farmer committed to stand trial for killing handyman
Ovid Chester moments after he collapsed at the market.
Kaieteur News – A farmer was on Monday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of a handyman that was killed last month allegedly over the sale of a construction net.
The accused, 51-year-old Richard Martin, of Block 22 Wismar, Linden, Region Ten, was on trial in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
On Monday the Chief Magistrate ruled that there is sufficient evidence against Martin for him to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Ovid Chester, 52, called “Bruckie,” a handyman formerly of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara. The accused is expected to go on trial on the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
On Martin’s first court appearance, he was not required to plead to the charge which alleged that on September 2, 2020, at Bourda Market, Georgetown, he murdered Chester.
According to a police report, Chester was allegedly killed around 10:00hrs on the day in question during an argument with Martin over money for a construction net that the accused had given to the deceased to sell. Martin had reportedly brought a construction net to the market that he intended to sell. While looking for a buyer, he was approached by the deceased who offered to sell the net for him. The farmer agreed and handed over the item to Chester, who immediately left to source a buyer. Investigators were told that the farmer waited a while for Chester to return but he never did. Eventually the farmer left but returned the following day in search of Chester and found him in a track leading towards North Road, Bourda. There, he confronted Chester and asked for the money from the sale of the net.
However, Chester failed to produce the net or the cash which resulted in a heated argument between the two. According to reports, the enraged farmer pulled a knife from his waist and stabbed Chester to the region of his heart. Chester ran but collapsed and died a short distance away.
Vendors and eyewitnesses alerted police and an Anti-Crime Patrol Unit that was in the vicinity moved swiftly and caught Martin before he escaped. He was allegedly nabbed with the murder weapon in his hand.
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