Howard De Santos, the young minibus driver who was charged last year with causing the death of his uncle, was yesterday acquitted after a city court held that there was no case made out against him by the prosecution.
Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday upheld a no-case submission made on the behalf of De Santos, 23, and dismissed the causing death by dangerous driving charge that had been laid against him.
De Santos, of Dazzell Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, was accused of killing his uncle, Shawn Bourne, by driving his minibus, BRR 1955, in a dangerous manner in August, 2013.
De Santos’s lawyer yesterday made a no-case submission, in which he noted that the main witnesses for the prosecution did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that his client was guilty of causing the death of Bourne. The defence lawyer went on to say that the case by the prosecution was hopelessly flawed and asked that the court dismiss the case.
After a short reply by Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte, who maintained that there was a case against De Santos, the magistrate disagreed and upheld the attorney’s no-case submission, leading to the dismissal of the case.
De Santos and his uncle were making their way home from a family fun day when the accident occurred on the Agricola, East Bank Public Road. He was allegedly driving his bus at a fast rate.
