Duo awaits sentencing for murdering Linden businessman

On Friday last, Stafrei Alexander, who is serving a life sentence for attempted murder; and Owen Belfield, were found guilty by a jury of the 2015 murder of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) businessman, Richard Remington following a trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Demerara.

Alexander called “Ratty” and “Mad Dog” and Belfield had initially pleaded not guilty to the joint indictment which stated that they murdered 44-year-old Remington between February 8 and 12, 2015, in the county of Demerara.
Following deliberations which went late into Friday evening, a 12-member mixed jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for both men. As such, sentencing for the two murder convicts has been deferred to April 22 to allow for the compilation of probation reports in their favour and victim impact statements.
During the trial, the duo was represented by Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson while Senior State Counsel Seeta Bishundial appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh had testified that Remington was shot twice to his right-side temple. He gave the man’s cause of death as gunshot injuries to the head. Remington’s decomposed remains were found in a clump of bushes along a track in the vicinity of Matthews Lane in Christianburg/Cholmondeley Hill, Linden.
The now dead man’s relatives had told the Police that he had left his home three days before his body was discovered. They had also opined that he might have been lured into the bushy spot by someone he knew.
Back in 2018, Alexander was found guilty of an attempted murder charge and was sentenced to serve life in prison. On March 23, 2015, in the county of Demerara, he discharged a loaded firearm at Curtis Thom with intent to murder him.
The facts of the case are that the two men were not friends, even though they resided in the same community. On the day in question, Thom had held a christening at his Laing Avenue, Georgetown home to welcome his baby daughter.
When the event concluded and the guests left, Thom went to the back of his yard to clean up and feed the dogs. It was then Alexander walked past him and grumbled something. As Thom was entering his home, he saw Alexander standing next to him holding a shiny gun. Alexander shot him twice and he collapsed to the ground and started to bleed. The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent surgery and remained a patient for seven weeks.
Alexander was among several high-profile inmates who escaped when a fire destroyed the Camp Street prison back in 2017.
Then in January 2021, Alexander was found not guilty of murdering Terrence Thomas whose body was found floating in the Demerara River. It was alleged that he murdered Thomas between December 8 and 11, 2015, at Linden. Alexander and Thomas had escaped from the Mackenzie Police Station where they were being held for the murder of Linden businesswoman, Shevon Gordon, who was gunned down during a robbery outside her Linden home on April 4, 2015.
It was reported that while in custody, Thomas provided the Police with vital information about the woman’s murder. He was later found dead in the Demerara River in the vicinity of West Watooka, Wismar, Linden.
Alexander, who is awaiting trial for the woman’s murder, was previously sentenced to two years in prison for escaping from lawful custody.