A 12-member jury was empanelled to hear the High Court trial of Lawrence Wayne, who shot and killed a suspected bandit in August 2014. Around 20 witnesses are expected to testify in a trial that is being heard before presiding Judge, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.
Wayne who was a licensed firearm holder pursued Dexter Lindo and another bandit when a female stallholder had raised an alarm after the men entered the Wayne Beverage Paradise premises on Merriman Mall.
Lawrence Wayne
Wayne followed the bandits when they fled in their getaway car. Sometime after, a confrontation ensued at Light and Fifth Streets, Alberttown in the vicinity of a shop, when Lindo pointed his gun but Wayne shot him to his abdomen instead.
Though Lindo escaped, he was later admitted to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital in Georgetown where he succumbed to his injuries. Police recovered an unlicensed .32 Beretta Pistol with four matching rounds which was reportedly in the possession of the bandit.
At Thursday’s hearing at the Demerara High Court, Police Officers Detective Desmond Johnny and Sergeant Hamlet Da Silva took the stand where they testified to the investigations that they carried out, assessing the crime scene, and afterwards. Under cross-examination, Da Silva admitted that he did not have to go searching for the accused as he presented himself for questioning when he returned to the country. The jury also heard that the accused, upon his detention, was informed that he was charged for the incident as charges had already been instituted by the State.
Detective Johnny recalled that he visited the scene of the shooting around 13:30h on the day in question. Upon his arrival, he spotted a white vest which had stains suspected to be blood. There were other articles on the ground which included an apparent spent shell and a pair of brown leather slippers. The Police investigator took photographs of what he discovered at the scene and was able to identify the pictures at Thursday’s court session.
The Police Detective added that he also took photos of a white motor car which was parked on the western side of Light Street, the area where the shooting occurred. He opened the car, and inspected it, but did not find “illegal items” inside. He did recover both United States and Guyanese currency. Other witnesses will continue their testimonies next week.
In May 2015, the licensed firearm holder was nabbed at the then Ogle International Airport moments after returning from Barbados. He was remanded and formally arraigned for the bandit’s killing. Wanye is represented by Attorneys Stanley Moore and Maxwell McKay while the State’s case is presented by Prosecutors Shawnette Austin, Tamica Clarke and Mandell Moore.
