Devon Johnson, 24, who was charged with the murders of two vagrants, was yesterday freed of one of the charges after a city court ruled that the evidence against him was insufficient for him to face trial.
At the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge against Johnson over the murder of Andrew Benjamin, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan concluded that the evidence provided was not enough.
The PI saw testimony from eight witnesses.
The magistrate found that in one witness’ testimony, the evidence of the blood seen on the road was not tested and proven to be that of Johnson. She also mentioned that video foot-age that was shown also failed to clearly identify the individual committing the crime to be Johnson.
“Thank you, your worship,” Johnson told the magistrate after being discharged.
It was the police’s case that on November 19th, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, Johnson murdered Benjamin.
At around 3 am on that date, Benjamin and another vagrant were sleeping on the pavement on Regent Street in the vicinity of Light Street. Police contended that Johnson approached them and chopped Benjamin several times about his body before escaping. Benjamin was later pronounced dead on arrival at the George-town Public Hospital.
Johnson still faces another PI, which is to be conducted into the charge against him for the killing of another vagrant, Raymond Samaroo.
In relation to Samaroo’s murder, it was reported that around 9.30 pm on the same date that Benjamin was killed, Samaroo was standing on the southern pavement of Regent Street in the vicinity of Household Plus when he was allegedly approached by Johnson, who subsequently stabbed him several times about his body with a knife. He too was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
