The Demerara High Court presided over by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow last week acquitted 29-year-old Orwyn Peters, called “Ratty”, of the murder of 35-year-old minibus driver Tedroy James, allegedly committed on July 11, 2017 in the course or furtherance of a robbery at McDoom, Greater Georgetown.
Dead: Tedroy James
Peters had pleaded not guilty to the charge, and at the close of the prosecution’s case, his lawyer Ronald Daniels had made a no-case submission which was later upheld by the trial Judge, who accordingly directed the 12 jurors to return a formal verdict of not guilty in favour of Peters.
State Counsel Cicelia Corbin had been one of the prosecutors.
Guyana Times had previously reported that James, also called “Six-Head”, of Suddie, Essequibo Coast, was shot in the back by one of three armed male bandits at around 11:30h on the day in question.
It was reported that a passenger who was picked up along the West Coast of Demerara had turned out to be a bandit. He had been seen constantly communicating with someone on his cellular phone during the journey. According to an eyewitness, the suspicious passenger had requested to be put off at McDoom, and as he was about to exit the minibus, had grabbed a bag belonging to another passenger before brandishing a gun.
Just moments after that occurrence, two male accomplices had pounced on the bus and attempted to rob the other passengers. James had attempted to drive away with his passengers, but was shot once to the back by one of the robbers, who had then escaped through a street in McDoom.
Freed: Orwyn Peters
After being shot, the father of two had continued driving the minibus, but had collapsed and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
In September 2016, Peters and another man were committed to stand trial at the High Court in Demerara for attempting to murder Neezam Khan, a businessman. That charge against the pair had said that on June 6, 2015, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, they had discharged a loaded firearm at Khan with intent to murder him.
According to reports, Khan and several of his colleagues were outside his snackette at Grove, EBD when four men on motorcycles rode up beside them. Media reports are that one of the men held Khan at gunpoint and relieved him of a quantity of jewellery, cash and other items, before shooting him in the left arm.
Peters had also been previously charged with robbery-under-arms. (G1)
