The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coastguard who reportedly drove his car recklessly on Sunday last killing a pedestrian at a Police roadblock was on Tuesday arraigned at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
Twenty-eight-year-old Esan Trim stood before presiding Magistrate Christel Lambert and denied two charges read to him.
He denied driving motor vehicle PLL 5680 on June 17, 2018 in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of 35-year-old Roopchand Charles.
He also denied that he was over the legal limit of alcohol on the day of the accident.
Reports are Trim struck Charles as he was speeding along the De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCD) Public Road as he was crossing the road after he was stopped by Police.
Following the accident, he was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
In her bail application for Trim, Attorney Latchmie Rahamat explained that CCTV footage showed Charles walking into the path of the vehicle.
Bail was not objected to by the prosecution, and was granted in the sum of $310,000.
The Coastguard will return to Court on July 24, 2018.
According to the dead man’s brother, “the Police wanted money and he was crossing the road to give them a raise when he was killed”.
However, the Police had stated that an unlicensed pistol with four matching rounds was found on Charles.
With respect to the pistol found, the dead man’s brother stated that he believed it was planted.
