East Canje resident acquitted in 2019 fatal stabbing case

After nearly six years on remand, an East Canje, Berbice, man accused of killing a known ex-convict during a street altercation in 2019 has been found not guilty by a jury in the Berbice High Court.
Anthony Carter, of Lot 188 Main Street, East Canje, Berbice, had faced trial for the offence of manslaughter in relation to the death of Delroy James, called “Slant Eye”, a 33-year-old labourer of Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
The trial, which opened on June 5, came to an abrupt end on June 12, when presiding Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul upheld a no-case submission filed by defence attorney Kevin Morgan of the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic. The judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty, citing insufficient evidence from the prosecution.
The jury, which had been empanelled on June 4, deliberated over testimony and exhibits during court sittings held on June 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The prosecution was led by State Counsel Cicelia Corbin.
During her ruling, Justice Ally-Seepaul highlighted critical surveillance footage presented during the trial. The video captured the sequence of events during the early hours of September 22, 2019, outside a business place on Main Street, New Amsterdam.
According to the footage, James and another man identified as Godfrey MacCalman were seen approaching Carter and his employer, Nizam Balgobin, at around 3:41 a.m. The video showed James placing Balgobin in a chokehold while MacCalman launched a physical attack on Carter.
A scuffle ensued involving all four men, during which the footage showed what appeared to be either punches or stabbing motions being inflicted on James. He later succumbed to stab wounds to the lower back, with a medical report confirming heart perforation as the cause of death.
One of the factors influencing the court’s decision was the absence of MacCalman, who had testified during the Magistrates’ Court proceedings but failed to appear at the High Court trial. Justice Ally-Seepaul stressed that his absence denied the prosecution a key eyewitness and weakened their case significantly.
With no direct or corroborated evidence proving that Carter acted with unlawful intent, the judge ruled that the State had failed to establish a prima facie case.
Attorney Kevin Morgan, in his no-case submission, argued that the evidence could not support a conviction and urged the court to discharge his client. The judge agreed, resulting in Carter’s immediate release.
Carter had been committed to stand trial in January 2021 following a preliminary inquiry before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court.
The deceased, Delroy James, had a long history with the law. He was previously charged in 2011 for the murder of Seon Craig, a wash-bay worker killed during a robbery at Mars Gas Station in Stanleytown, New Amsterdam. He was acquitted after a judge also upheld a no-case submission in that matter. James also served an eight-year sentence for armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and had other encounters with law enforcement over the years.
However, he was released after the presiding magistrate upheld a no-case submission, resulting in his discharge. With the jury’s verdict now rendered, Carter walks free, bringing a legal end to a case that has lingered since 2019.