Two men were yesterday charged with the murder of security guard, Garfield Newton who was shot on Christmas Eve night.
Twenty-four-year-old Judah Vickerie called ‘Culture’, a taxi driver of Bella Dam, Pouderoyen Squatting Area, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and 25-year-old Darren Baley called ‘Fifty’, a weeder of Parfait Harmonie, WBD were arraigned in the courtroom of Chief Magis-trate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
The men were not required to answer to the indictable charge which states that on December 24, at Campbell Street, Albouystown, George-town, they murdered New-ton in the course or furtherance of a robbery. The men were remanded until January 26.
Vickerie who is said to have been the driver of the getaway car was represented by attorney-at-law, Dexter Smart while his co-accused was unrepresented. Smart told the court that his client denies involvement.
The court heard that, Newton, 36, of Lot 454 Mandela Avenue, was at a goldsmith’s shop collecting jewellery he had taken for cleaning. After collecting the jewellery, the man was proceeding in a northern direction when he was shot in his chest.
The Police Prosecutor said that the men then escaped in a car that was driven by Vickerie. The court also heard that the police made arrests after viewing CCTV footage in the area. Further, the court heard that Vickerie gave a video confession of his role in the murder while Daly gave a caution statement.
After collecting his jewellery, the police had said that Newton walked on Campbell Street heading in a northern direction to motor van # GPP 7505 (owned by the company he was employed with) which he parked on Sussex Street, Albouystown. It was then he was shot.
Following the shooting, he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospi-tal where he was pronounced dead. A firearm and ammunition he had in his possession – property of the Beharry Group of Companies – the jewellery and a cellphone were not found, the police report said.
