Brother of accused teen testifies as PI continues

Killing over 0 at Canal No 1

The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Canal Number One Polder teen Leon Ritchie continued before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on Thursday last.
The accused, Andrew Gittens, allegedly stabbed his cousin on January 18, 2017 after he, Ritchie, did not repay $440 that was borrowed to purchase bread.
At last week’s court proceedings, Gittens’ brother, Akeem, 21, testified to the events that surrounded his cousin’s fatal stabbing. Other witnesses taking the stand to testify in the matter were Robert Adams and Corporal Lallbachan.
Ritchie, then 17, was killed at his Lot 20 L’Oratoire, Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD) residence after the accused reportedly came up to him and demanded that he repay the money. Reports were that an argument ensued between the two over the $440 that Ritchie had borrowed two weeks prior. It was stated that after a scuffle, Gittens, also a teenager, stabbed his cousin to the chest.  An injured Ritchie reportedly collapsed and upon realising what he had done, the alleged perpetrator had raised an alarm and the injured teen was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he had been pronounced dead on arrival.
When interviewed back in January, the father said that his son lived at his grandparent’s house along with his other cousins. Their grandfather, who had supervised the boys, passed away in 2016 and ever since then, the young family members had lived alone.