Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Man who had asked magistrate to shoot him, remanded for vagrant’s murder
Kareem Stewart (Photo Credit: Newsroom)
Kaieteur News – A man, who seven years ago had asked a magistrate to shoot him in the head, was yesterday remanded for the death of a vagrant.
The defendant, 27-year-old Kareem Stewart, of 599 Toucan Drive, South Ruimveldt Gardens, was charged with murder by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates Court.
It is alleged that on January 27, 2021, Stewart murdered Mark Benjamin, a vagrant, popularly known as “Curl up Toe,” at Camp and Robb Streets.
The defendant was not required to plea to the indictable charge and is expected to return to court on February 11, 2021.
Kaieteur News had reported that Stewart admitted to killing Benjamin with a brick. Investigators had, however, told this newspaper that he did not reveal a motive for his actions.
Nevertheless, detectives learnt that Stewart was a known substance abuser (drug addict).
The defendant, was implicated in the crime after a security guard reportedly saw him bludgeoning Benjamin with the brick sometime around 03:30 hrs. on January 27 last. The security guard was at the time guarding a nearby building.
Cops were told that Benjamin was sleeping on the roadway at Camp and Robb Streets, when Stewart approached him. He allegedly picked up a brick and began hitting Benjamin repeatedly to the head before running away.
Benjamin was found by police bleeding from injuries to the head and was pronounced dead by medical professionals, who had arrived at the scene as well. Stewart was arrested hours after at a location on Charlotte Street.
The defendant, however, is no stranger to the law and according to past reports, had appeared in court on June 28, 2013, for breaking and entering the home of his neighbour, Somattie Ali.
He was 19 years old at the time and had pleaded not guilty to the allegation, but had made a shocking request from the then Chief Magistrate, Priya Beharry.
Stewart had asked Beharry to shoot him in the head because he didn’t know what was wrong with it.
Kaieteur News reported that Stewart had entered the court room singing “Oh I will go to heaven; I know I will go to heaven.”
Stewart had even given the complainant’s address as his place of abode, and had asked Beharry if he could live at the court house. He went on to call some persons sitting in the court room “a cross” and even told Beharry that he “kinda liked her,” before leaving.
Noting his strange behaviour, Beharry had sent him for a 14-day psychiatric evaluation.
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