Police were yesterday forced to release miner Gavin Joseph on station bail, after his wife, who he allegedly shot twice in the shoulder last Friday, refused to give investigators a statement about the incident.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News that police have received no statement from Karen Kerr, 33, who remains admitted as a patient at a city hospital. When asked whether police can institute charges without the statement, Persaud said, “We can’t charge without evidence.”
He pointed out that police have to be in possession of evidence that Joseph did shoot his partner—which investigators do not yet have.
He stressed that the police can only charge “if we have evidence, and we don’t have that right now!”
It was as a result of this, Persaud explained, that a decision was made to release Joseph, a licensed firearm holder, on station bail, while the investigation continues.
Stabroek News was told that the couple had an argument at their Lot 309 Rohinital Street, Prashad Nagar home just after 2 am last Friday.
At the time of the shooting, the couple’s four children and Kerr’s brother were in the house.
Moments after the shooting, Joseph ran out of the house and was seen pacing in front of the gate by his sister-in-law Carolina Welcome, who lives in the lower flat of the residence.
The woman has said she inquired from Joseph what had happened and he informed her that he had just shot Kerr. Joseph also reportedly assured Welcome that the injuries Kerr sustained were not life-threatening and he later handed her brother some money, instructing that he take her to the hospital. Joseph then calmly walked out of the yard.
That evening, he surrendered to police at Kitty Police Station, where he also lodged his firearm.
At the hospital, Kerr underwent emergency to remove the bullets, which pierced her intestines and also damaged her lungs.
