Just one day after his accomplice, Shaquille Grant was acquitted for the murder of Andre Alexander, popularly known as “Bread Man”, Neville Ford, the second accused in the said murder was remanded to prison after the trial ended in a hung jury on Tuesday.
The empanelled 12-member jury, in a proportion of 11 to 1, was unable to deliver a verdict at the end of more than two hours of deliberations at the Demerara High Court. Asked whether the jury needed further directions to make a decision, the foreperson of the jury responded in the negative to Judge Navindra Singh.
As such, Ford is expected to have a re-trial during another session of the Demerara Assizes, and will remain on remand until it is decided. Defence Attorney Adrian Thompson had represented the accused.
Ford at Monday’s court hearing had maintained his innocence, even after his alleged accomplice, Grant, also called “Soldier Man”, had the said murder charge discharged against him after a successful no-case application by defence counsel Nigel Hughes. The duo were initially charged jointly for the capital offence, to which they pleaded not guilty at the trial’s commencement. The indictment read that on May 5, 2017 in the county of Demerara, they murdered Alexander in the course of, or furtherance of a robbery
The State’s case was led by Prosecutor Teriq Mohammed, in association with Sarah Martin and Tuanna Hardy.
Guyana Times had previously reported that on the day in question, Alexander, of Lot 394 C Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown and his wife were at their bread stand when two men on a CG motorcycle approached them and ordered three loaves of bread, paying with a $5000 note.
The now dead man was reportedly in the process of making change when the pillion rider whipped out a gun and demanded that the father of two hand over his cash.
Alexander reportedly put up a fight and in retaliation, the suspect discharged two rounds, one of which struck the vendor to the chest.
The bandits then relieved the injured man of an undisclosed sum of cash and bread before making good their escape.
Residents rushed to the scene and found the man lying in a pool of blood. He was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.
