Quindon Bacchus’s murder: 5 of 15 prosecution witnesses testify as PI continues

With the next hearing scheduled for July 25 at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court, 10 more prosecution witnesses remain to testify in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Quindon Bacchus, a father of one who was allegedly shot dead by a Policeman last year.
Police Constable Kristoff De Nobrega, 23, who was stationed at the Special Branch Unit, has been charged with Bacchus’s murder, which occurred on June 10, 2022. He has not been required to plead to the indictable charge.
Guyana Times understands that the prosecution intends to call 15 witnesses, five of whom have already testified. Magistrate Fabayo Azore is presiding over the PI, while Attorney-at-Law Bernard DaSilva is representing the murder accused.

Twenty-three-year-old Bacchus, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was fatally shot during a Police sting operation at Haslington, ECD. It has been reported that on the day in question, undercover Police ranks, including Lance Corporal De Nobrega, were conducting an intelligence-led operation in the Haslington New Scheme, after receiving some information earlier in the day.
The ranks had gone to Bacchus’s home, where he was seen with a firearm in his possession. He reportedly had intended to sell the illegal firearm to the ranks. The plainclothes rank De Nobrega, who was armed, had made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus.

In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised and Bacchus reportedly ran away from the ranks. A chase ensued, during which Bacchus reportedly shot at the ranks, who returned fire, injuring him in several places about his body.
The Police say Bacchus was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was treated but subsequently died.
Police Headquarters had said that a .380 pistol with a magazine that contained one round and a .380 spent shell and two 9mm spent shells were recovered at the scene.

The incident was investigated by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), and it was recommended that the Police rank and two of his colleagues be charged. This decision was endorsed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Meanwhile, Police Lance Corporal Thurston Simon and Police Sergeant Dameion Mc Lennon have been charged with attempting to obstruct the course of justice, for allegedly giving false information to investigators probing Bacchus’s death.
Sergeant Mc Lennon, 35, of Lot 175 ‘B’ Field, South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, who was initially remanded to prison by a Magistrate, was in August 2022 granted $250,000 bail by a High Court Judge. It is unclear whether Lance Corporal Simon, 24, of Bareroot, ECD, was admitted to bail.
Following Bacchus’s death, violent protests had erupted at several ECD villages. The protests led to several vendors at the Mon Repos Market being robbed and their stalls vandalised and goods looted. Some of the ‘protesters’ who were armed with cutlasses, knives, iron bars, and other handy weapons, destroyed vendors’ goods, burnt stalls, and vehicles, shattered windscreens of vehicles, and even terrorised vendors.
The vendors were compensated by the Government, and close to two dozen men were arrested and charged with the offence of riotous behaviour.Bail was granted to all of them.