Freeman Street man before court on attempted murder charge

A 27-year-old Georgetown man, who was acquitted just a few years ago in a high-profile murder trial, has once again found himself before the court, this time, accused of attempted murder in connection with a shooting in his East La Penitence neighbourhood.
Sean Dos Santos, of Lot 238 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Thursday before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, where he was charged with attempting to murder Seon Archibald. The incident reportedly stemmed from a dispute over a missing cell phone.
It is alleged that on March 13, at Freeman Street, Dos Santos, with intent to kill unlawfully and maliciously shot Archibald injuring him in the leg. The prosecution told the court that the attack occurred in full view of Archibald’s relatives, who were also fired upon during the incident. Dos Santos was reportedly armed with a firearm and discharged multiple rounds in the direction of Archibald and his family.
The court heard that both the accused and the victim reside in the same area, which according to the prosecutor increases the risk of reprisal or renewed violence should Dos Santos be released on bail. Prosecutors further noted that Dos Santos was previously charged with murder in 2017, suggesting a pattern of violent behaviour that makes him a danger to the community.

Given these concerns, the prosecution strongly objected to bail.
Dos Santos’ Attorney, Kiswana Jefford, argued that her client maintains his innocence and had no involvement in the shooting. Jefford told the court that when Dos Santos learnt that he was being sought by the police, he voluntarily turned himself in, a sign, she said, that he poses no flight risk.
Despite the defence’s appeal, Magistrate McGusty remanded Dos Santos to prison and adjourned the matter to May 21, 2025.
Noted by the prosecutor, this isn’t Dos Santos’s first brush with the law.
In 2017, he was arrested and later indicted for the murder of Abdool Fazal Saheed, a 58-year-old man who was gunned down during a brazen early morning robbery at his family’s Freeman Street home.
Dos Santos, who was 19 at the time, stood trial in 2021 alongside his co-accused, Stephon Howard. The two were accused of storming the Saheed family’s residence on September 24, 2017, while the family was preparing for a memorial service.
During the armed invasion, several members of the household were shot, including the deceased’s brothers, Abdool Shalim and Abdool Alim Saheed.
At trial, the prosecution claimed that Dos Santos confessed to investigators that he and Howard were responsible for the killing. However, both men denied any involvement in the crime and challenged the credibility of the evidence presented. They said the identification process was flawed and accused the police of conducting a biased parade.
During testimony, Shalim Saheed identified the accused men as the shooters but struggled to provide specific descriptions, noting only that they were dark-skinned males of average height.
When questioned by Defence Attorney Konyo Sandiford about the vague nature of his description, the witness admitted that he hadn’t provided many details to the police.
Despite the prosecution’s efforts, the jury returned with a not guilty verdict after hours of deliberation, freeing both Dos Santos and Howard. The two walked free in 2021.