…as 111 cases listed for June 2018 Demerara Assizes
After months of judicial delays which followed a decade since businessman Kumar “Mango Man” Singh was shot and killed during an invasion of his Cove and John, East Coast Demerara home, two accused – Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, and Sherwin Nero, known as “Catty” – will go on trial at the High Court for the businessman’s murder. Their names were listed to be called up before a Judge on the current panel of the June Criminal Session at the Demerara Assizes.
During this month, Justices Sandhill Kissoon, Jo-Ann Barlow and James Bovell-Drakes will hear the 111 listed cases while Justices Priya Beharry and Brassington Reynolds will replace Barlow and Bovell-Drakes in July. Justice Beharry will be the third Judge to hear sexual offences matters, after Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall heard such cases when the specialised court was implemented last year.
The current session has 40 sexual offences matters, including rape and carnal knowledge, while there are 71 criminal offences cases including murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent and robbery under arms. Should anyone be found guilty of murder by a 12-member jury, they can be sentenced to death as Guyana retains capital punishment. However, there is a moratorium on hanging for over 20 years as no one has faced the hangman’s noose since 1997.
Mark Royden Williams is currently on death row in relation to the Bartica Massacre. However, the matter for which he is jointly charged with Sherwin Nero is a separate indictment. The “Mango Man” trial was delayed due to constitutional challenges that were made in court last year by attorney Nigel Hughes.
Williams will still remain incarcerated whether or not he is absolved of the killing of Kumar “Mango Man” Singh, since he was sentenced to death by hanging in February 2017 for his involvement in the 2008 Bartica Massacre whereby 12 persons, including three Policemen, were slaughtered. However, in 2013, he was absolved of the Lusignan Massacre by jury which was enshrined by a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling in May 2018. Williams’ brushes with the law did not end with his death sentence as he escaped prison in July 2017. During his escape, prison officer Odinga Wickham was killed and the Camp Street Prison was reduced to ashes. No one was formally charged for those crimes. Williams was recaptured on October 9, 2017, on his way to Suriname. He was a passenger in a minibus, which was intercepted at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice.
The “Mango Man” murder case came up for High Court trial in June 2014 before another Judge, but was prevented from continuing owing to an objection by one of the accused. On August 30, 2007, four gunmen stormed Singh’s home where he was shot dead. In July 2008, the two suspects were initially charged for the capital offence. The matter is expected to be called up in the High Court in the next few weeks.
