Three men were yesterday charged with murdering Rubis Guyana accountant Jason Cort, who was shot dead just over a week ago at his home during a robbery.
Stancy Rodney, 27, a mason; Linton Eastman, 23, a miner; and Clifton Gibson, 30, also a mason, were remanded to prison by Magistrate Ann McLennan after being charged with the capital offence at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
They were not required to plead to the charge, which states that on June 17, at Meadow Brook Gardens, they murdered Cort, pursuant to a robbery.
Stabroek News had previously reported that Cort, 27, was shot to the chest just after he had returned home.
His gold chain, a bracelet worth $500,000, his licensed firearm, an Xbox gaming console and his smartphone were stolen.
Gibson was represented by attorney Peter Hugh, while Rodney and Eastman were unrepresented.
Hugh did not say much during yesterday’s proceedings other than indicating that his client had no previous convictions or any pending matters.
Family members of Cort were present in their numbers during the hearing.
Afterward, as the men were being escorted back to the prisoner holding area, one of Cort’s aunts stood up and pointed to the three accused and called them murderers. The woman broke down in tears. Another aunt was heard yelling, “You killed my nephew! You destroyed a family!”
The case was adjourned to July 17.
Cort’s fiancée, Shauna Garraway, who was present at the time of the attack, had told this newspaper that she and Cort had arrived home around 10.30 pm after a dinner when the attack occurred.
The woman had said that they had only gone to the house to drop something off for Cort’s aunt, who usually stays at the house, and they were about to head right back out to catch an 11 pm movie. “I went upstairs to grab a jacket and when I was coming down back I heard a gunshot and he [Cort] said ‘Ow!’ and a male voice said ‘Gimme the money,’” Garraway had recalled, while explaining that after she heard the gunshot she retreated back up the stairs and hid under the bed.
