An office assistant appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with causing the death of a motorcyclist in a July 8th Vlissengen Road crash that also left the pillion rider hospitalised, and was granted bail.
Joel Thomas, 29, was not required to plead to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. It is alleged that Thomas, of 205 Thomas Street, Kitty, on July 8th at Vlissengen Road, drove motorcycle PTT 2510 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Stephon Beckles.
Attorney Siand Dhurjon, who represented the accused, made a bail application for his client. Police Prosecutor Adduni Inniss did not object to bail being granted but requested that conditions be applied.
Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus later granted Thomas $300,000 bail and ordered that he report every Friday at 9 am at the Alberttown Police station until the completion of the matter.
The matter was then adjourned until October 1.
Thomas had made his first court appearance in the matter on July 10th and was charged with driving under the influence and driving without a tint permit. The first charge alleged that the accused, on July 8th at Vlissengen Road, drove motor car PTT 2510 when his breath alcohol level was above the legal limit. Thomas denied this charge.
However, he admitted that on the very date and in the very location, he drove motor vehicle PTT 2510 with glass tinted beyond the legally prescribed Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%).
Magistrate Clive Nurse granted Thomas $10,000 bail on the first charge, and fined him $7,500 on the second offence.
Police investigations had revealed that the motor car, PTT 2510, was travelling north along the western lane of Vlissengen Road, while the motorcycle bearing registration number CH 9859 was travelling in the opposite direction at a fast rate.
The driver of the car told police that the motorcycle veered over into his lane and they collided head on.
As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist, Beckles and the pillion rider, Kevin Andy fell onto the road.
They both sustained injuries to their heads and other parts of the bodies. They were both rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by a public-spirited citizen. At the hospital, Beckles was pronounced dead on arrival, while Andy was admitted.
