NWD man charged for killing father-in-law

Thirty-six-year-old Lance Van-Slyton of Canal Bank, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini) was on Thursday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with the murder of his father-in-law.
The court heard that on July 28, 2018 while in the vicinity of Canal Bank, he murdered Dennis Welcome.
Based on reports received, about 03:00h on July 28, the accused and two of his friends were consuming alcohol outside his home and as time swiftly went by, he allowed the two friends to stay over.
Later that night, Van-Slyton’s wife and daughter ventured out into the yard to use the washroom, but the man in a drunken state accused the woman of leaving the house to see his friends. As such, he began to beat her.
Upon hearing the commotion, her father, who resided across the river, went over to the couple’s home and stopped Van-Slyton from beating his daughter. To avoid a reoccurrence, Welcome reportedly stayed with his daughter until the break of day. However, about 06:30h, Welcome was returning home in his boat and it was at this time his son-in-law flew into a fit of rage and slammed his boat into the man’s vessel. As a result, Welcome fell into the water and did not resurface.
A search was launched, and the now dead man’s lifeless body was pulled from the canal. He sustained severe injuries to his head as a result of the hit he received from the boat.
The body was taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital and Welcome was formally pronounced dead on arrival. A report was made, and the accused was subsequently arrested and charged.
The matter will continue on August 6, 2018.