Two alleged gang members remanded for 'unlawful wounding' of Linden teen

Two alleged gang members remanded for ‘unlawful wounding’ of Linden teen

Feb 04, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – Two Lindeners, who are allegedly members of a gang that operates notoriously in Linden, were on Thursday charged and remanded to prison for the unlawful wounding of a teenager, contrary to Section (50) of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

The duo, 36-year-old Travis Hazel, a businessman of Lot 24 Silver City Wismar, Linden, and 48-year-old Royston Hilliman, also a businessman, of Lot 1831 Main Street Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie Linden, was arrested on Wednesday.

The men are accused of unlawfully wounding 19-year-old Dwayne Mitchell, a miner of

Royston Leroy Hilliman

Wisroc on December 26, 2022 at Block 22, Wismar Linden.

Hazel and Hilliman appeared at the Linden Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Wonda Fortune, where the charge was read to them. They were not required to plea and were both remanded to prison.

The matter was postponed to March 9, 2023.

Meanwhile, on January 17, 2023, Kaieteur News had reported that residents of the mining town voiced their concerns about the increase in gang violence across the town during a recent visit of Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.

The residents said there have been many cutlass attacks in the communities along the Wismar shore, which have seen several youths being injured about their bodies. As a result, the residents have called on the authorities to not only investigate the prevalence of gang violence but take actions to curb it.

The Prime Minister had visited the community of Wisroc, Linden.

The gang, popularly known as the MOB or the ‘Cayenne’ gang has been fingered in several violent and drug-related incidents over the years. In 2019, there was a peak in gang related violence in Linden which led to the execution-style shooting of Ian Williams called ‘OJ’, in Amelia’s Ward.

An emotional mother, while describing a recent chopping incident that took place in Wisroc on Christmas Eve and resulted in her 19-year-old son being chopped about his body, said she now fears for her life.

“Mr. Prime Minister, there is a gang in Linden that controls Linden by the name of MOB…controlling the drug trade and everything in Linden,” she said before explaining what transpired.

Travis Hazel

The angry mother said the chopping incident involving her son occurred in Wisroc. The woman alleged that gang members ran into her home and chopped her son.

Seven other young men were allegedly attacked. The woman said she was forced to protect her child at the hospital after receiving threats from the gang and no support from the police.

“Right now, my life is in threat, I tried to make contact with the police and the police ain’t helping me. If they can be brave to chop eight young men, who looking out for we? There is nobody looking out for we and they going in the house,” she said.

Prior to the Prime Minister’s visit, several residents had taken to social media in December to express their concern over gang violence.

Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira in a Facebook post said, “The upsurge use of illicit drugs (molly) and gang violence within the Linden community is most concerning, particularly among our young people and the use of cutlasses as the weapon of choice. The brazenness of these violent acts being committed in view of the public in different communities across Linden has to be dealt with condignly and stopped. The elected official made public calls to the regional police command, to deal with these issues seriously. “I therefore call on him to look into these serious allegations and do that which is required to prevent a potential upsurge of retaliation of vigilante justice and more criminal acts to spiral out of control.”