A boat captain was yesterday charged with the murder of his 67-year-old father-in-law.
George Van Sluytman, 36, of Port Kaituma Canal Bank, was charged with murdering Dennis Welcome on July 28th, at Canal Bank, Port Kaituma.
Van Sluytman was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge, which was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.
According to police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, on the day in question at about 3 am, Van Sluytman, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, returned home to his common-law wife and threatened her.
The court heard that Van Sluytman proceeded to hold on to the throat of the woman, put a spoon to her neck and told her that he would kill her. The prosecutor added that the woman raised an alarm, resulting in Welcome going to her aid and later taking her to his home.
Prosecutor Mansfield told the court that around 7 am, Van Sluytman proceeded by boat to Welcome’s residence, where he found the now deceased man sitting in a boat. It is alleged that Van Sluytman drove his boat into Welcome’s boat and as a result of the impact the deceased fell into the water and did not surface. An alarm was later raised and Welcome’s body was subsequently retrieved and taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After being charged, Van Sluytman was remanded to prison and the proceedings were adjourned until November 6th, when a hearing is slated for the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
