Man charged with woman’s murder to spend more time behind bars

A 35-year-old mason of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (BE), was on Thursday further remanded to prison for the murder of a 27-year-old woman back in 2008.
Sylvester Vanderhyden made yet another court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. He was previously charged and was not required to enter a plea to the charge and as such, he was remanded to prison.
On Thursday, the accused was further remanded. He will make his next court appearance on November 1, 2018.
The charge stated that on November 5, 2008, at Agricola, Greater Georgetown, Vanderhyden murdered Melissa Payne. After being on the run for nine years, he was arrested in May last year, and was subsequently charged with the indictable offence.
According to reports, Payne was fatally shot after she attempted to resist the perpetrator of a brazen attack on herself and a male companion.
The pair had encountered mechanical problems and had exited the canter truck in which they were travelling when they were accosted by several armed men who relieved them of a bag containing some $110,000 in cash along with a quantity of jewellery.
It was after Payne exhibited reluctance to hand over her handbag that she was shot by one of the perpetrators. The men then made good their escape.
Payne’s companion, who was named as David Fraser, reported flagging down a motorist who transported the bleeding woman to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Soon after the incident, several men were arrested, and Jermine Savory of Agricola was charged with the murder of Payne after he allegedly cracked under pressure and admitted to his involvement in the crime.
Savory, however, denied ever firing the fatal shot at the woman.