Bethel Chimezie, the Nigerian national who was captured after a brazen attack on State House in 2022 had left a Presidential Guard seriously wounded, has been sentenced by Magistrate Leron Daly to three months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of discharging a loaded firearm with intent; and further, has been placed under three years of supervised probation.
In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Daly began with the maximum of 15 months, but deducted time spent on remand. The Nigerian had been remanded to prison by then Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he had been arraigned before her on January 19, 2023 charged with discharging a loaded firearm with intent at Presidential Guard Quincy Cummings, and slapped with attempting to commit murder.
Convicted Nigerian national Bethel Chimezie
The attempted murder charge is set for calling on March 1, 2024 before Magistrate Rondel Weever.
RECAP
On December 15, 2022, Nigerian national Bethel Chimezie approached the ranks at the southern guard hut in the compound of State House, located near the Carmichael Street Georgetown entrance, and demanded to see President Dr Irfaan Ali.
After being informed about the process governing entrance into the compound, Chimezie whipped out a knife and stabbed Presidential Guard Teon Perreira five times, before relieving a female guard of her firearm and begin retreating from the compound, firing shots in the process.
Civilian videos of the ordeal captured Chimezie retreating from the guard hut as he engaged in an exchange of gunfire with Presidential Guards and other ranks. Injured in the exchanges, Chimezie was surrounded, intercepted, and disarmed by ranks. At the scene of the shooting, Police ranks retrieved a 9mm pistol and seven 9mm spent shells.
Chimezie and the injured guard were immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for urgent medical attention. An unconscious Perreira was rushed into surgery, and later regained consciousness.
While still on his hospital bed, Perreira was subsequently promoted by President Dr Irfaan Ali to the rank of corporal.
Information subsequently released on Chimezie revealed that he had arrived in Guyana on March 13, 2020, and had previously been employed with a security company, but was
employed with a cleaning service company.
