An aviation officer was yesterday hauled before two city magistrates after answering to four charges, including causing the death of his best friend, following a motorbike crash along Mandela Avenue.
Joshua Mentore, 21, of Lot 14 Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he was granted bail by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly and Magistrate Clive Nurse.
Senior Magistrate Daly read to him the charge that on June 27, at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he drove motorcycle CK 7783 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Kareem Powley, 20, of Tucville, East La Penitence. He was not required to plead to the charge.
Mentore was represented by attorney Darren Wade, who told the court that the youths were best friends. He said that Mentore, who is an aviation officer, has never had any brushes with the law. He asked for the man to be placed on reasonable bail. He was then placed on $150,000 bail with the condition that he lodge his passport with the court and report to police every Monday at 9 am. He was told to return to court on July 6 for the next hearing on the charge.
Meanwhile, Mentore was also hauled before Magistrate Nurse in Court Seven, where he was placed on a total of $55,000 bail after denying three traffic charges. It was alleged that on June 27, at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he drove a motor vehicle while not being the holder of a driver’s licence. He was placed on $25,000 bail for this charge. It is also alleged that he drove an uncertified motor vehicle and he drove an uninsured motor vehicle. For these charges, he was released on $10,000 and $20,000 bail, respectively.
Powley succumbed on Sunday after the motorbike on which he was a passenger crashed due to a near-collision with a car along Mandela Avenue.
In a press release, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) stated that Powley died after receiving injuries following a motor vehicular accident. The police said that Powley was the pillion rider of the motorcycle, which was proceeding north on the western carriageway of Mandela Avenue at a fast rate when, according to Mentore, a black motorcar – number and make unknown – that was proceeding in the same direction swerved close to him and caused him to lose control of the bike.
According to the police, Mentore, who was the motorcyclist, said that he ran off the road and collided with a pile of stone, which was on the western parapet of the road. As a result of the collision, Mentore and Powley fell to the road and they both suffered injuries.
The police said that Powley was picked up in an unconscious condition by Emergency Medical Technicians and succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention. A breathalyzer test that was conducted on Mentore revealed no trace of alcohol in his system, the police said.
