Youth remanded for setting fire to three George Street houses

Jul 08, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Twenty-two-year-old Calvin Lawrence, of Lot 101 Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, was yesterday remanded for setting fire to three dwelling houses on George Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.

Remanded, Calvin Lawrence.

Lawrence appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. He was not required to plead to the indictable charges that were read to him.
The first charge alleges that June 24, 2021, at Lot 1 George Street, Werk-en-Rust, Lawrence had unlawfully and maliciously, set fire to a dwelling house valued $18 million containing articles valued at $6M, property of Collin Bentley. The second charge states that on the same date and at the same location he had, unlawfully and maliciously, set fire to a dwelling house valued $38 million, owned by Nalini Baboolall, containing articles valued $16 million belonging to Kevin Phillips. The final charge alleges that on the same date, at the same location, Lawrence had, unlawfully, and maliciously set fire to a dwelling house valued $250 million containing articles amounting to $30 million, property of Hardat Maniram.
Chief Magistrate McLennan remanded Lawrence to prison and the matter was adjourned to July 22, 2021.
According to reports, Lawrence is accused of setting fire to three houses in an early morning arson attack. As a result of that fire, 27 persons were displaced.

The aftermath of the George Street fire. [Joseph Allen photo]

Based on a report from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), the fire at D’Urban and George Streets started around 01:00hrs. The fire destroyed a vulcanising shop and houses nearby. Phillips, the owner of the vulcanising shop, had stated that around 01:00hrs. he was awakened by his barking dogs. He further stated that upon checking, he noticed two persons riding away on a motorcycle from his home. Moments later the man said he heard his neighbour shouting, “fire, fire” and that’s when he noticed his building was ablaze.
According to the GFS report, the fire first gutted Phillips’ two-storey wooden building and resulted in the entire building and contents being destroyed. Kaieteur News understands that Phillips lived on upper floor of his vulcanising shop with his family, which includes six others.
This publication had reported that firefighters managed to control the flames and prevented it from spreading to nearby buildings but not before it destroyed neighbouring houses, which displaced a Venezuelan family of 20.