A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty to murdering businessman, Godfrey Scipio also called “Saga”, who was shot outside of a city hotel during a robbery in 2017.
Dead: Godfrey Scipio
Aubrey Bobb, an ex-convict of Kitty, Georgetown, was arraigned before Justice Jo Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court. He pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that he murdered 64-year-old Scipio on October 17, 2017, at David Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
Confessed killer: Aubrey Bobb
Following his guilty plea, the confessed killer was further remanded to prison to await sentencing, which is scheduled for September 26.
Bobb was represented by Attorney-at-Law Teriq Mohammed. The prosecution was represented by State Counsels Latifiah Elliot, Marisa Edwards, and Simran Gajraj.
However, after four years on remand, Police Corporal Derwin Eastman, in July 2021, was committed to stand trial for Scipio’s murder by Magistrate Fabayo Azore. He remains on remand awaiting trial.
Murder accused: Police Corporal Derwin Eastman
Bobb was the first to be charged and later implicated Corporal Eastman and Police Constable Jamieson Williams. The latter, was, however, discharged and freed last year after Magistrate Azore ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
In 2019, Bobb was committed to stand trial at the High Court for the businessman’s murder after a Magistrate found there was sufficient evidence against him.
It was reported that Scipio, who resided at Lot ZZ 22 D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, was shot in his abdomen just as he exited a popular Kitty, Georgetown hotel with a female companion.
He later succumbed at the Woodlands Hospital while receiving medical attention. Bobb, in a caution statement, reportedly told investigators that Corporal Eastman was the mastermind behind the brazen daylight robbery which led to murder.
He had accused Corporal Eastman of hiring him as the hitman and providing him with the gun.
Corporal Eastman reportedly had everything planned out, even assuring the hitman that a lady would deliver the target to the spot while directing that the killing be executed in such a way as to appear like a robbery gone wrong.
Notwithstanding the assurance of protection given by Corporal Eastman, reality struck when Bobb returned home the next day to find Corporal Eastman, in the company of other Police ranks, ready to arrest him.
Bobb had claimed that he was forced to confess to the crime as he was intimidated by Corporal Eastman, who was present at every step of the interrogation.
Corporal Eastman was adjudged the Guyana Police Force’s “Best Cop” on several occasions.
