A man accused of setting a woman’s car on fire was remanded to prison on Friday after it was revealed that he had also allegedly threatened Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty in a previous incident.
Carlos Braithwaite, an unemployed 40-year-old man with no fixed address, appeared before Chief Magistrate McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he faced a charge of malicious damage to property.
Charged: Carlos Braithwaite
The charge stemmed from an incident on November 6, in which Braithwaite allegedly set fire to a car belonging to an Education Ministry employee.
According to the reports the virtual complainant had parked her vehicle at Pollard Place, Georgetown, around 14:00h before heading to work. Hours later, around 18:30h, concerned citizens alerted her that her car was ablaze. She rushed to the scene, where members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) were already working to extinguish the flames. The fire caused significant damage to the vehicle.
An investigation by the police led to Braithwaite’s arrest. It was disclosed that he had reportedly confessed to setting the fire by placing a salt bag near the car and igniting it with a lighter.
It was revealed in court that this was not Braithwaite’s first troubling interaction with the complainant. In a previous encounter, Braithwaite allegedly threatened her by sharpening a cutlass in her presence and brandishing a piece of wood.
Citing these alleged threats, Braithwaite’s lack of a permanent address, and the serious nature of the charges, Chief Magistrate McGusty denied bail. She ordered that Braithwaite be remanded to prison, pending further hearings. He is scheduled to return to court on December 06.
