Bail reduced for 2, granted to 1 on public terror charge after health, financial pleas

Three men charged in connection with the public terror and unrest following the death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge returned to court on Wednesday, where two got their bail reduced and one was granted bail due to deteriorating health conditions.

Emmanuel James, 18, of Independence Boulevard, and Jamal Small, 27, of James Street, Albouystown, were both previously granted bail on charges of terrorism and break and enter with larceny. However, despite those grants, both remained in prison and appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, still in custody.
The prosecution objected to the granting or reduction of bail, noting that Emmanuel James was charged with two serious offences. The prosecutor emphasized that in similar matters before both the Georgetown and East Coast Magistrates’ Courts, bail had been set at $750,000, citing the gravity and seriousness of the offences. She argued that those factors remained relevant and urged the court to consider them accordingly.
Attorney Trenton Lake, though not formally retained, applied for a bail reduction on behalf of both James and Small.
Lake argued that bail must be considered in light of an accused person’s financial means, not solely the gravity of the charges.
Both men had been accused of participating in the April 28 unrest, including setting fire to wood and debris on Hunter Street, and looting a Chinese-owned supermarket of goods totaling over $500,000, belonging to supermarket owner Gin Baolin. Small had pleaded guilty to the larceny charge and not guilty to the terrorism charge, while James pleaded not guilty to both.
Magistrate Azore granted Lake’s request, reducing bail to $100,000 per charge, for a total of $200,000 each.
Also appearing on Tuesday was Tyrese Assanah, 21, a porter of Nisems Old Road, West Bank Demerara, who had been charged under similar circumstances.
His attorney, Kemona Griffith, made an application for bail, citing serious medical concerns, including symptoms consistent with tuberculosis, such as persistent fever and weakness. Griffith emphasized that the treatment Assanah had been receiving in the prison system had been ineffective and urged the court to allow him access to private care at Georgetown Public Hospital.
Magistrate Azore acknowledged the absence of any previous bail application on Assanah’s behalf and granted bail of $250,000.
The trio is among scores of persons charged so far in connection with acts of terrorism, looting, and public disorder following the release of an autopsy confirming that Adrianna Younge died by drowning in a hotel pool at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
Authorities say the child’s death sparked outrage across the country, but peaceful protests quickly devolved into chaos, with looters and arsonists targeting businesses and communities in Georgetown, Berbice, East Coast, and West Bank Demerara.
The Guyana Police Force, using surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts, has since arrested over 100 people. Under the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, a conviction for terrorism carries a penalty of 10 to 15 years in prison and fines starting at $500,000. All three matters have been adjourned to June 25.