2nd brother arraigned for murder of US-based Guyanese

A second man has been charged and remanded to prison for the murder of a young US-based Guyanese who was killed during his brother’s wedding celebrations back in March.

Leon Gonsalves, called “Never Please”, a barber, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), was arraigned at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court last week before Senior Magistrate Alex Moore.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that he murdered 21-year-old Lakhan Chaterpaul, also called “Rickash”, of Ohio, USA on March 8, 2022.
A few days after Chaterpaul was murdered, Gonsalves’ brother, Eon Gonsalves, also of Crabwood Creek, was charged and remanded to prison for the crime. He, too, had appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court.
Chaterpaul, along with five other family members, had arrived in Guyana to attend his brother’s wedding at Crabwood Creek.
Reports are that Chaterpaul was allegedly stabbed to death during an altercation with three men, who showed up at his relatives’ house during a party. The dead man’s grandfather had said that they were having a get-together at his home when the three men walked into the yard. However, after the men, who are from the same community, were reportedly seen with marijuana, they were asked to leave.
According to media reports, the trio left the yard and went into the street where they began to destroy the vehicles belonging to persons at the party. As such, family members rushed out to confront them. It was during this altercation that Chaterpaul was reportedly stabbed once to his heart. It is believed that Eon Gonsalves inflicted the fatal blow.
Meanwhile, following the arrest of Leon Gonsalves, he reportedly confessed, telling investigators that he took the knife out of his waistband and inflicted the fatal injury. After reviewing the Police file, the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised that the persons who were involved in injuring Chaterpaul be charged.
Eon Gonsalves was reportedly handed over to the Police at the scene suffering from several injuries. He had indicated that he suffered them at the hands of a mob that swarmed him at the scene of the crime.