A Brazilian national is now a remanded prisoner after he was charged yesterday with the murder of Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke-Linden Highway miner David Atkinson, who was killed last October.
Deon Jonas, also known as ‘Dexter Jonas,’ appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Five and was not required to plead to the indictable charge after it was read to him.
The charge against him alleges that on October 26th, 2019, at Cuyuni River, he murdered Atkinson.
He was remanded to prison until February 13th, 2020 and the matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, where a preliminary inquiry into the charge is due to be conducted.
Police said investigations have revealed that Atkinson, along with two others, were employed to work in the mining area owned and operated by Azad Mohammed.
After a wash down, Atkinson and his colleagues, Trevor and Andy Thomas, went to the landing where they had several drinks before returning to their camp. While returning the following morning at around 1 am, they were allegedly attacked by Jonas and another individual, according to the account given to the police by the colleagues.
Police said that the men alleged that they were held at gunpoint and robbed of a quantity of raw gold. The men further claimed that they managed to grab Jonas, take away his firearm and then take him and the gun to their camp and handed him over to Mohammed.
However, Jonas reportedly managed to escape before the police arrived.
Police said they found Atkinson with an incised wound and multiple lacerations about his body in Mohammed’s camp. When he was found, he was still alive and he related to the investigating ranks that it was Jonas and his stepfather who chopped him. He succumbed while police were transporting him to the Bartica Hospital.
