Despite a report by a psychiatrist that said that he was not mentally fit to face trial, Devon Johnson, a 24-year-old labourer, was yesterday remanded to prison after he was charged with the murders of two vagrants last month.
Johnson of Cummings Street, Bourda, was not required to plead to the capital offences when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court One.
The first charge stated that on November 11th, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, Johnson murdered Andrew Benjamin. It is also alleged that on the same date and at the same location, Johnson murdered Raymond Samaroo.
According to Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers, at around 3:00 hours on the said date, Benjamin and another vagrant were sleeping on the pavement on Regent Street in the vicinity of Light Street, when Johnson approached them and chopped Benjamin several times about his body before escaping. Benjamin was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
In relation to Samaroo’s murder, Jeffers said that around 21:30 hours on the same date, Samaroo was standing on the southern pavement of Regent Street in the vicinity of Household Plus when he was approached by Johnson who subsequently stabbed him several times about his body with a knife. Johnson subsequently escaped. Jeffers said both incidents were captured on CCTV cameras which led to Johnson’s arrest.
The prosecutor disclosed that the files in relation to both matters are currently incomplete and requested that the magistrate order Johnson to undergo psychiatric evaluation. He further disclosed that the reason Johnson was not charged sooner was because the police were waiting for a report on the accused’s mental condition. He said that the report was given to the police last Friday and it advised that Johnson was not mentally fit to face trial. However, Jeffers said, after police received legal advice, the two charges were instituted. Johnson was scheduled for further evaluation yesterday.
The magistrate remanded him to prison until December 18th, 2019.
