Murder trial halted after accused found mentally unfit

The murder trial of Shemar Harvey, a 26-year-old resident of Albouystown, Georgetown, has been halted after the court ruled him mentally unfit to stand trial.
Harvey was accused of the 2019 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Christopher Mansfield but will now undergo treatment after a forensic psychiatrist determined that he was not capable of understanding the court proceedings or assisting in his defense.
The trial was being conducted at the Demerara High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member jury when the decision to abort was made based on the psychiatrist’s evaluation. Harvey had initially pleaded not guilty to the capital charge related to Mansfield’s death.
Following the decision, Harvey was further remanded to prison, with future proceedings dependent on his mental state. He will receive treatment as part of the process to determine his fitness for any potential retrial.

State Counsel Delon Fraser and State Counsel Alvaro Ramotar represented the state, while defense counsel was Ronald Bostwick.
The incident that led to the charges against Harvey occurred on March 31, 2019, when Christopher Mansfield was shot in the chest while heading to a football field in West La Penitence, Georgetown.
The young man collapsed on Non Pareil Street, Albouystown, where residents tried to assist him, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
A Preliminary Inquiry conducted in 2021 by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly had initially found sufficient evidence to send Harvey to trial at the High Court. However, the recent developments regarding his mental state have now put the trial on hold. (G9)