Farmer pleads guilty to manslaughter for Bourda Market killing

Feb 20, 2024 News

Ovid Chester a few moments after he collapsed at the market.

Kaieteur News – Richard Martin, a 54-yea-old farmer of Wismar Linden on Monday pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the killing Ovid Chester back in September 2020.

His confession comes two years after he was remanded to prison for the offence. Martin’s plea was accepted at the Demerara High Court at mid trial before Justice Ramlall. The confessed killer admitted that on September 2^nd 2020 he unlawfully killed the man at Bourda Market.

He is being represented by Attorney-at-law Domnick Bess while State Counsel Praneta Seeraj and State Counsel Simran Gajraj are prosecuting the matter. On April 3^rd Martin will return to the court for sentencing.

The Chief Magistrate had ruled that there is sufficient evidence against Martin, for him to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Chester, 52, called “Bruckie,” a handyman formerly of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara. 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. While looking for a buyer, he was approached by Chester 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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