Rural Constable Tony George, attached to the Community Policing Group (CPG) at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, on Monday found himself before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, facing a charge of murder committed on Ricardo Singh.
Murder accused: Tony George
The charge alleges that the 28-year-old George murdered the 15-year-old Singh of Diamond, East Bank Demerara on July 9, 2018, in the vicinity of the Soesdyke Public Road.
According to Police Prosecutor Simone Payne, the victim was with several friends at a wedding house at Soesdyke, EBD on July 9, when an altercation ensued.
Singh was subsequently arrested by George, and was later placed in the tray of the Police vehicle to be escorted to the Police Station. The Prosecution is contending that the accused and another male Rural Constable were on their way to the Police station when George allegedly stopped the vehicle, exited with the teen, and reportedly told the driver to leave.
It was further alleged that, upon returning with several other officers, the Police driver found the teen with a stab wound to the abdomen, and George standing looking on in the presence of residents.
However, defence attorney for George, Dexter Todd, informed the court that according to one of his client’s statements, filed by the Police, George had acted lawfully as an enforcement officer.
Dead: Ricardo Singh
George has been remanded to prison until October 23.
The body of 15-year-old Ricardo Singh, also called “Cardo”, was discovered in the wee hours of July 9 with several stab wounds, including one to his abdomen.
Based on reports received, the former Diamond Secondary School student and his friends had left their respective homes on that dreaded Sunday with the intention of “taking a lime” at the Linden-Soesdyke Highway Junction, but had instead gone to the wedding house, which was close by.
However, while there, a gang of men had allegedly attempted to relieve one of the teen’s friends of his gold chain and cash, resulting in the now dead teen intervening. His friend, whom he was helping, reportedly ran away leaving him behind.
The young man, who would have been celebrating his 16th birthday three days after that incident, was subsequently found in a nearby trench with his intestines protruding. He was picked up and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to Singh’s mother, her son had left home riding his pedal cycle just after noon that day with intention to meet his friends. The grieving mother related that, as night fell, she called her son several times on his mobile phone, but her calls went unanswered.
His father had also attempted to call the young man, but to no avail. The devastated woman recalled her son’s friend visiting their home at about 08:00h and relating that the young man had been stabbed.
Upon receiving the news, the teen’s father had contacted the Police, and had subsequently visited the Lyken Funeral Home, where he had positively identified his son. The woman noted that the friend with whom her son had gone to the wedding house had later been taken into custody.
Meanwhile, this publication had reported that the young man had been misbehaving at the wedding house, and the Police had been called in to intervene. However, at the time, members of the Community Policing Group (CPG) had been patrolling the area, and as such, they had reportedly arrested the young man.
