Clement Bailey, ex-police officer and former driver of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, was sentenced to four years for killing Clifton Garraway.
Bailey had pleaded to the lesser charge of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice William Ramlal earlier. He was later sentenced to four years last Thursday after a probation report was presented to the court. The two years Bailey spent in prison while awaiting trial was taken into consideration by Justice Ramlal before sentencing.
Reports were Garraway, 26, formerly of East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, was shot some six times about his body and died on his way to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Police said in a statement at the time that they were investigating the circumstances which led to the fatal shooting of Garraway by the policeman. According to that statement, Bailey was not on duty and the shooting followed an alleged altercation and scuffle between him and the deceased.
The statement further said that Bailey had been issued with a handgun by the force, and also had a license for a personal weapon. Police at that time could not say why Bailey had not lodged his weapon on completion of duty that day.
Shemeka Jones, Garraway’s girlfriend had reported that they had gone to a pool shop in Kitty and later moved to the Garnett Street location. According to Jones, 13 persons accompanied them into the bar and were drinking. Just before 11 pm, Garraway went outside after complaining of feeling unwell and slept for a short while on his motorcycle, until one of his cousins went outside to check on him. Garraway was awakened by a cousin and as he was proceeding back inside the bar he bumped into a female connected to Bailey. Jones had said Garraway apologized, but the woman went inside and called alerted Bailey who confronted Garraway and chucked him, causing Garraway’s glass of rum to fall on the ground. Bailey, Jones had reported, then advanced to Garraway and shot him in the abdomen and, as he fell to the ground, pumped more bullets into him.
Jones said she tried desperately to get her boyfriend to the hospital but several drivers refused to take him saying that they didn’t want blood in their vehicles. Eventually she got one, but the young man breathed his last before getting to the hospital.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Garraway took four gunshots including one to his head.
Bailey had claimed he was being attacked from behind and when he whipped out his service revolver and tried to shoot Garraway he ended up hitting himself.
