A 54-year-old Brazilian national appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday slapped with an attempted murder charge.
Francisco D’Aguiar of Lot 75 Church Street, Bourda, Georgetown, was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on May 26, 2019, at Aranka Backdam, Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), with intent to commit murder, he discharged a loaded firearm at Police Constable Anthony Weekes.
D’Aguiar was represented by Attorney-at-Law Trenton Lake, who told the court in his bail application that his client was not arrested at the scene. In fact, he added that his client was not present at the location when the incident occurred. He went on to say that the man turned himself in at the CID headquarters on Monday last on his free will.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, who presented the facts of the matter, stated that on the day in question, police ranks received information that the accused was in possession of a gun when they visited the location to conduct an investigation.
The police rank, along with others, arrived at the mining camp and identified themselves to the accused, who was at the time carrying a handgun.
The accused, the prosecutor noted, pointed the gun at the ranks and discharged four rounds with one hitting Weekes to the chest.
The injured man was rushed away from the scene by his colleagues and taken to the Bartica Hospital but was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was admitted and later discharged.
Prosecutor Mansfield further stated that the accused turned himself over to Police at the CID headquarters on June 10, 2019. However, Anthony Weekes told the court that the bullet struck him in the chest but exited and lodged in his hand.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan refused bail on the grounds that the accused might be a flight risk since he has no fixed place of residence. She further stated that there is no evidence of the accused being a naturalised Guyanese citizen.
The man’s next court appearance is slated for June 19, 2019, at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
