Almost two weeks after the police issued a wanted bulletin for Jamaul John for the offence of causing death by dangerous driving, he was yesterday taken before a city magistrate and charged with the crime.
John, 25, was brought before Magistrate Leron Daly who read the charge to him.
The charge alleged that on December 18, 2017, at Vlissengen Road, John drove minibus BTT 8476 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Desmond Grandsoult.
John pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh objected to the accused being granted bail, citing the fact that he was previously charged and found guilty of dangerous driving in 2017, and would have served a sentence for that offence. The prosecutor added that since the death of Grandsoult on December 18, 2017, John had been on the run. According to Singh, a wanted bulletin was issued for the accused and he was arrested on March 26, 2018.
On the day of the accident, the now deceased man was picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he later died.
Singh told the court that the accused would have given a caution statement to the police and signed his name to it.
Having heard from the prosecutor, Magistrate Daly remanded the accused to prison and adjourned the matter to April 5, when it will be heard by the Chief Magistrate.
John was also taken to the Traffic Court where he was charged with failing to render assistance and failing to report the accident.
Grandsoult, 42, a father of three, resided at Lot 1710 Dedication Place, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown.
This newspaper had previously reported that according to the police, at about 8.45 am, on the day of the accident, minibus BTT 8476 was being driven by John when it collided with Grandsoult, a pedal cyclist who was proceeding in an eastern direction. The police said that from investigations the victim rode in front of the minibus in an attempt to cross the road. The left side of the front of the bus crashed into the rear of the bicycle, and as a result of the impact, Grandsoult fell onto the road and was run over by the said minibus. Following the collision, the driver lost control of the bus and it landed in the trench on the western side of Vlissengen Road.
Five passengers from the minibus, police said, suffered minor injuries and were treated at the GPH and sent away.
