Three men were yesterday charged with the murder of Wismar businesswoman Shevon Gordon, who was shot during a robbery last month, and they accused police of shocking them with a Taser to force confessions out of them.
Robin Maxwell Thomas, 22, of Lot 20 West Ruimveldt; Adoni Bowen, 26, of Lot 20 Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden; and Anthony Primo, 29, of Lot 153 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, were not required to plead to the charge when they were arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 2.
It is alleged that on April 4th, 2015, at One Mile Block 22, Wismar, Linden, Thomas, Bowen and Primo murdered Gordon.
The attack had occurred as Shevon Gordon and her husband, Elon Gordon, were about to enter their home. One of the robbers, armed with a gun, confronted Shevon, who had disembarked from her canter in front of her home. The men demanded the bag she was carrying. One of the men fired two rounds in the air while she struggled with the other. She was eventually shot while struggling to maintain possession of the bag.
Attorney Melvin Duke represented Primo, whom he said was arrested in the city on Tuesday and transferred to Linden, where he was told he would be charged with murder.
He told the court that while Primo has no knowledge of any murder, after his arrest he was beaten about his body and shocked.
Duke added that his client subsequently received medical attention and had a record to show the injuries he sustained.
Primo’s co-accused, who were unrepresented, also alleged that they were tortured by the police. Thomas said an officer beat him and shocked him with a Taser and forced him to sign a paper. Bowen also related a similar experience. “My worship, after these officers arrested me, I have never been so terrified yet in my life. They put a plastic bag over my head and had my head between my feet while they stamp me in my back,” Bowen, with tears in his eyes, said.
Magistrate Ann McLennan remanded the three men to prison until Tuesday.
Meanwhile, apart from being charged with the murder, Bowen also faced a separate charge that was read against him and his girlfriend.
Bowen and Letisha Garraway, of Lot 40 Blueberry Hill, were charged jointly when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
The charge stated that on May 5th, at Blueberry Hill, Wismar, they had in their possession a magazine for a firearm, without being holders of a firearm license. It is alleged that police, acting on information received, went to Bowen’s residence, where a search was conducted and the couple was arrested.
They both denied the charge.
Their attorney told the court that Bowen and Garraway shared a relationship and on the day of the discovery Bowen was in his yard cleaning chickens, while the woman was just visiting. The attorney added they had no knowledge of the magazine that was found.
The attorney also said that while in custody Bowen was badly beaten and she was not even allowed to speak to him.
The prosecution objected to bail noting that no special reasons were presented in court. Bail was, however, set at $125,000 for each of the two accused, with the condition that they report to the officer in charge of the Mackenzie Police Station every two weeks on Friday, starting from May 22nd.
The case was transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for a hearing on May 13th.