The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) secured three convictions from the 13 cases that were disposed of during Demerara April Criminal Assizes, which concluded on Monday.
A press statement from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said that in addition to the convictions, there were seven not guilty verdicts recorded for other capital offences, a hung jury and two cases dismissed for lack of evidence.
The Assizes opened on April 2 with 219 cases listed to be heard and was presided over by Justices Navindra Singh, James Bovell-Drakes and Brassington Reynolds.
Justice Singh, the statement said, disposed of eight cases dealing with the offences of murder, rape and incest, in which there was one guilty verdict, one hung jury, five not guilty verdicts and a dismissal for insufficient evidence.
Justice Bovell-Drakes completed one murder case, which saw a not guilty verdict; while Justice Reynolds completed four murder cases, with two guilty verdicts, one not guilty and one discharged due to insufficient evidence.
The next Demerara criminal session started yesterday, with 219 cases scheduled for trial before Justices Reynolds and Singh.
As it pertains to the Essequibo February Criminal Assizes, which started on February 19 and concluded on May 20, 22 cases were listed for trial before Justice Franklin Holder.
During this period, two cases were disposed of but Justice Holder completed one matter and the other was not prosecuted by the DPP.
The case that was completed was for attempted murder and the accused was found guilty.
The other matter was for rape and the DPP discontinued the charge in pursuant of the 2013 Amendment of the Sexual Offence Act 2010 so that it can have the benefit of the Amendment.
The Essequibo Assizes for May is in progress and a murder trial is currently being heard. At the same time, the Berbice Assizes is in progress with sessions being presided over by Madam Justice Dawn Gregory. This criminal session opened on February 5 with 49 cases listed for trial before it concludes on June 17.
According to the release, during April and May, three matters were completed in which one of the accused was found guilty for the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years jail while the accused for the offence of carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years was ordered to face a re-trial after a hung jury was returned.
In the third matter, the accused was freed after the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty for the offence of murder and manslaughter.
Five matters were not prosecuted by the DPP for the offences of murder, sexual activity with a child family member, rape, attempted murder and carnal knowledge.
In two separate cases for the offences of murder and attempted murder, the matters were nolle prosequi because the accused died while awaiting trial.
The other three matters were not prosecuted because the virtual complainants indicated that they no longer wished to proceed with them.
The next Berbice Assizes will start on Tuesday June 18 before Justice Gregory.
