Four mothers were on Friday remanded to prison for allegedly dousing another woman with an acidic substance which has severely burnt her.
Jointly charged with attempted murder, the four have been arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Charged are Jennifer Validen, 28, a mother of three and of Albouystown, Georgetown; Alana Holder, 28, a mother of three and of North East La Penitence, Georgetown; Gailann Marks, 21, a mother of two and of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; and Latifah DaCosta, 26, a mother of one and of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
They were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on January 21, 2022, at Princes Street, Georgetown, they caused grievous bodily harm to 24-year-old Renesha Maxwell of West Ruimveldt, with intent to commit murder.
The four accused will make another court appearance on February 25.
The women were all represented by lawyers who asked the court to grant them reasonable bail. In their bail applications, the lawyers told the Magistrate that their clients do not pose a risk of flight, while noting that they all turned themselves in after learning that they were wanted in connection with the incident.
However, the Police prosecutor has opposed their being released on bail. In so doing, he said Maxwell is hospitalised in a serious condition. The prosecutor also highlighted the serious nature of the offence and the gravity of the charge. These objections were upheld, and bail was denied them by the Magistrate.
It has been reported that Maxwell had taken a taxi from Leopold Street, Georgetown, and as she was travelling in that vehicle, she observed another vehicle following the one she was in. With this realisation, she reportedly told the driver to stop, and as soon as the car stopped, four females exited the trailing car and approached her.
One of the females, reportedly Validen, then threw a liquid substance on her, after which she immediately felt a burning sensation about her body and began to scream. She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was treated and later admitted with burns to her back and left hand.
The Police prosecutor informed the court that at one point the accused persons and Maxwell were all friends, and that “something went wrong among them”. Following the incident, the Police had issued a wanted bulletin for the four mothers, who, accompanied by their lawyers, surrendered at the Ruimveldt Police Station.
