-charged with attempted murder
A man who was allegedly paid by another to injure a woman was remanded to prison yesterday by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson when he appeared before her charged with attempted murder and escaping from lawful custody.
John Caesar, 27, of 252 Wisroc, Linden was not required to plead to the charge which alleges that on July 4, 2009, he attempted to murder Dhanwantie Phulchand.
However, he pleaded not guilty to the charge that on the same day, while at the Brickdam Police Station being a prisoner pending a criminal charge, he escaped from custody.
Caesar told the magistrate that regarding the escape from custody charge he was ‘passed out’ by a CID officer. When asked by the magistrate to explain, he said that he had asked a police officer for permission to use the washroom, which he was allowed to do.
He added that while he was waiting, he saw a CID officer who knows his sister and the officer asked him what he was doing there. He told him that he had to wait for a police officer. He said the officer allegedly asked him “what he has.” He said he told him that he had $15,000 on him.
He said the officer walked him downstairs and told him when he was approaching the gate at Brickdam that he should walk, not run. Police Prosecutor Inspector Stephen Telford said the action of Caesar was indicative of his guilt. He noted that the police who took the money from him was not the same one who took him to the washroom.
Caesar said that he was paid an advance of $60,000 to attack Phulchand and was promised a further $60,000 upon completion of the deed. He said he was told by the man that he should try to make the attack look like a robbery. He said that he hit her with a piece of wood which was concealed in a bag. Caesar urged the magistrate to finish the matter quickly since he was feeling guilty about committing the offence. He told the magistrate that he was fed up with life and did not want to live this way.
He added that his family turned against him when they realized what he had done.
Telford asked for bail to be refused and for the matter to coincide with the case against Caesar’s alleged accomplice in Court Six.
A young woman, Marissa George, was previously charged with attempted murder and her matter is to continue in Court Six on July 15.
Caesar was then refused bail and the matter put down for July 15 in Court Six.