‘Doggie’ and ‘Fatta’ charged after viral Cuffy Square brawl sparks chaos

Four persons, including two social media personalities have been charged in connection with a widely publicised brawl at the Square of the Revolution, commonly referred to as Cuffy Square, which was livestreamed and promoted online, drawing a crowd of hundreds.
Those charged are 35-year-old Bradley Sampson, known as ‘Doggie’, of Norton Street, Lodge Georgetown; 34-year-old Rahyana Goring, also called ‘Fatta’, of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara (ECD); 27-year-old Shanella Holder of East Ruimveldt, Front Road and overseas-based Guyanese 26-year-old Malika Lewis, popularly known online as ‘Farren Dolly’. They all appeared on Tuesday before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Sampson was represented by Attorney Ronald Bostwick, and Goring was represented by Attorney Cassidé Nurse. Attorney Jevon Cox represented Lewis. Holder’s Defence Attorney was Shauntelle Wright.

According to the charge, Sampson and Goring incited Holder and Lewis to commit a felony by encouraging them to engage in a physical altercation on May 25. The incident, which stemmed from an ongoing feud between Holder and Lewis, played out live on social media and escalated into a full-blown street fight.
The prosecution revealed that Holder and Lewis had been exchanging threats and taunts online in the days prior, including a video allegedly showing Lewis pelting Holder’s residence with a brick. The situation came to a head when both women agreed to settle the matter in a physical confrontation at “Cuffy Square”.
Sampson and Goring, known to be acquainted, were allegedly seen on separate Facebook livestreams hyping up the fight and encouraging their respective followers to show up. Doggie was reportedly heard offering a cash reward of $200,000 to the first woman who arrived on the scene. As a result, hundreds of people turned up at the location to see the fight.
Video evidence allegedly showed the influencers actively engaging the crowd and encouraging the two women to fight, an altercation that lasted for about two minutes before police were forced to intervene. Officers discharged several rubber pellets to disperse the gathering. One person was reportedly injured during the chaos, having been shot in the buttocks.
Goring, Holder, and Lewis were allegedly arrested on the spot, while Sampson was taken into custody sometime later.
Mindful of conduct on social media
During Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution objected to bail for Sampson and Goring on public safety grounds. However, Attorneys Bostwick and Nurse argued that their clients were not flight risks. Bostwick said Sampson is a businessman whose operations would be severely disrupted by remand, while Nurse noted that Goring is a single mother of two and claimed video evidence exists showing her trying to prevent the fight.
Magistrate Azore granted bail in the sum of $250,000 each to Sampson and Goring and instructed them to be more mindful of their conduct on social media. Sampson was also ordered to lodge his passport with the court.
Meanwhile, Attorney Cox asked that his client be released on her own recognisance, adding that she has no prior antecedents and is not a flight risk.
Holder’s Defence Attorney Wright also then took the opportunity to state that her client is 27 years old, is not a flight risk, and has no previous convictions, and like Cox, requested that her client be released on her own recognisance.
Magistrate Azore placed the duo on $15,000 bail. The court is expected to seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether the matter can be dismissed. The case was adjourned to June 2.
‘Doggie’ and ‘Fatta’ were among a hostile crowd, reportedly paid by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, to block Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) along with police ranks from seizing several luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini Roadster, Ferrari, Rolls Royce, and Land Cruisers — from the Mohamed’s residence in Houston, Greater Georgetown. The vehicles are part of a tax evasion court case against Azruddin Mohamed in the High Court.