Prosecution closes case in D’Urban St murder PI

Following the testimonies of eight additional witnesses, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Neville Jeffers on Monday closed the case for the prosecution in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of 29-year-old father of two, David Barclay.
Kevin Lewis, a salesman, is charged with Barclay’s murder, which occurred on December 27, 2020, at Georgetown.
He has not been required to plead to the indictable charge, and is currently a remand prisoner.
It was reported that Barclay, of Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD), contacted Lewis in a bid to have a tyre on his vehicle repaired after encountering mechanical problems at D’Urban Street, Georgetown.
An argument subsequently ensued between the men over payment during which Lewis whipped out a knife and slashed a tyre on the now dead man’s car. Guyana Times had previously reported that Lewis turned up at the location and fixed the problem with the tyre.
However, Barclay was reportedly short of $700 to pay him for his services. This publication understands that the mechanic’s fee was $4000, but Barclay only had $3300.
Police said that Lewis claimed he then jumped into a vehicle and during the process of driving off, Barclay jumped onto the right front door of the vehicle and held on to him. As a result, Lewis lost control of the vehicle and crashed into several parked cars.
Media reports stated that after Barclay was struck, he was dragged several feet before the car came to a halt. Barclay, who was lying motionless on the roadway, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.
Following Barclay’s death, the Police conducted investigations and sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, who initially advised that Lewis be charged with manslaughter. However, earlier this year, the charge against him was upgraded to murder. (G1)