-accused re-arrested, released
Magistrate Yohannseh Cave upheld no-case submissions in the murder inquiry of University of Guyana student Dennis Edghill yesterday setting free accused, Steve Lovell but police re-arrested the man shortly after and then released him.
Three months after the preliminary inquiry commenced, Lovell was told at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on the East Coast that the matter was discharged because there was no evidence linking him to the stabbing incident which resulted in Edghill’s death on February 15 at the university’s Turkeyen campus.
Lovell sprinted from the courtroom in elation and was dashing out of the court compound when police at Sparendaam arrested him saying they were acting on instructions. He was detained for several hours and released later in the day.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack was contacted by the police after Lovell was re-arrested and gave instructions for him to be detained. Lovell’s attorney, Nigel Hughes then contacted the DPP requesting Lovell’s immediate release. Hughes also threatened to go to the High Court over the matter. The DPP later called the police and told them to release Lovell.
Lovell who is not a UG student was alleged to have murdered Edghill on campus. Edghill, 23, was among several students at UG on the day in question when a row erupted between two students. Edghill intervened since of the students was a close friend and was allegedly stabbed in the neck and stomach with a broken bottle by Lovell. Lovell was a friend of the person involved in the row with Edghill’s friend.
Edghill later succumbed to his wounds in hospital and Lovell went into hiding but sometime after he turned himself into the police accompanied by Hughes. He was subsequently charged with murder.
The preliminary inquiry in the case commenced on March 13 and close to ten witnesses were called. Hughes made no-case submissions earlier this week.
In the wake of Edghill’s death UG announced plans to beef up security on campus and later implemented rigorous security checks at the main gate and the Sophia entrance screening for ID cards.
The administration was also moving to bring an end to the routine revelry on week nights particularly Friday that included drinking and loud music.
