A father of five was yesterday not required to plead to the charge of attempted murder when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on March 9 at Georgetown, taxi driver Donald Webb, 38, of 11 Belfield, East Coast Demerara, attempted to murder Lurrex Bristol.
Attorney-at-law James Bond who represented the defendant expressed shock at the charge. Bond told the court, “My Worship, I am flabbergasted by this charge. This is more of an assault case as opposed to attempted murder.”
According to Bond, on the day in question the virtual complainant (VC) was celebrating Phagwah and in the process caused some abeer to get on his client. His client, he said, cautioned the VC about what he had done before going into the washroom of Church’s Chicken Restaurant at Camp and Middle streets to clean himself off. The attorney further stated that the VC then followed his client into the washroom and began pouring even more abeer unto his clothing and by this time a scuffle ensued between the two.
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith explained to the court however that the VC in the matter had sustained serious internal injuries which amounted to attempted murder. Bond then responded by saying that the VC is now “doing fine” and had indicated by way of a message through his brother that he no longer wished to prolong the matter.
Griffith argued, however, that according to the doctor’s report the VC who was not in court has suffered severe internal injuries and is still very sick. The prosecutor also pointed out, “My Worship, no one can come on behalf of the VC and claim that the VC doesn’t want that matter to continue.
The VC would have to say so him or herself.” “Anybody can come and say they were sent by the VC when in actual fact they weren’t,” Griffith concluded.
The accused was subsequently denied bail and remanded to prison until today.