Man accused of killing Baramita teen girl walks free

Apr 04, 2022 News

– court cites lack of sufficient evidence

Kaieteur News – Thirty-nine-year-old Wickroy Mitchell called “Shatta” who was charged for the murder of his 16-year-old drinking partner back in 2020 was on Tuesday last set free when the case was discharged against him owing to insufficient evidence.

Wickroy Mitchell called “Shatta.”

On November 19, 2020, Mitchell, a miner of No. 53 Village Corentyne Berbice, made his first court appearance and was remanded to prison. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that between November 14 -15, 2020, at Coanna Backdam, Five Star, North West District, he murdered a 16-year-old girl of Baramita Village, after being on a drinking spree with the teen and her mother.
In February 2021, the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the matter commenced in the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Dylon Bess.
According to Mitchell’s lawyer, Leslie A. Sobers, the prosecution’s case was based almost entirely on an alleged confession in a caution statement. The lawyer noted that after a voire dire was conducted, the court found that the caution statement that was given by Mitchell was not obtained voluntarily, and as such, it was declared inadmissible.
The lawyer also shared that there were several other material discrepancies in the prosecution’s evidence. Further, the main eyewitness, the dead teen’s mother was not convincing in her testimony and contradicted herself.
As such, the Magistrate ruled that there was insufficient evidence for Mitchell to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of the teenage girl.
On Saturday November 14, 2020, around 12:00hrs, the teen was seen imbibing, together with her mother, Mitchell and other males at a shop. Around 15:00hrs, the teenager and her mother became intoxicated and decided to leave the shop. The accused had also reportedly left with them. It was reported that before doing so, they purchased another bottle of rum along with a quantity of rice.
Sometime later, the police had reported that the teen’s mother returned to the shop alone and spent a while there. On Sunday November 15, 2020, around 07:30hrs, the teen’s body was discovered lying motionless behind her home, at North West District. She was then transported to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The police had reported that the teen was allegedly strangled to death by Mitchell. There were also reports that the teen was allegedly raped before she met her demise.

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