Philbert McPherson, one of the men charged in the 2008 murder of US-based businessman Ricardo Henriques, walked out of court yesterday a free man after a murder charge against him was dismissed.
McPherson was one of three men charged with murdering Henriques, who was fatally shot outside the Juice Power Snackette on Middle Street, in Georgetown, on November 24, 2008.
However, Chief Magis-trate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, discharged McPherson, following a no-case submission by his attorney Basil Williams at the preliminary inquiry into the charge.
Henriques, 31, of D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust was shot in the head at point blank range during the robbery outside. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at Georgetown Public Hospital.
While two men, Junior Henry, of Lot 58 West Ruimveldt Estate, and Baldeo Seegobin, of 97 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, were charged with Henrique’s murder on November 28, 2008, McPherson, who was reportedly in hiding, was not charged until January 11, 2011.
At McPherson’s arraignment, Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford had told the court that Henriques, his father and two employees were standing outside the Juice Power Snackette when he was shot and killed by McPherson. According to Telford, McPherson, who was the pillion rider on a motor cycle at the time of the incident, discharged three rounds at Henriques, who fell to the ground.
Telford related to the court that after the shooting, the accused came off the cycle and relieved Henriques of a bag containing in excess of $800,000, after which he made good his escape.
