A man was remanded to prison yesterday after he was charged with the murder of Lakhan Chaterpaul, the overseas-based Guyanese who was slain during a visit to celebrate his older brother’s wedding.
Eon Gonsalves, also known as ‘Belly’, 26, of Grant 1802 Crabwood Creek, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Number 51 Magis-trate’s Court, where he was charged with murdering Chaterpaul, also known as “Rickash”, 21, on March 9.
Gonsalves was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison after bail was denied.
Gonsalves will return to the Spring-lands Magistrate’s Court on May 31 for report.
Meanwhile, according to a police source, investigators are still on the hunt for the main suspect in the killing. The source noted that law enforcers were informed that the suspect may have fled to Suriname but they are working to confirm this information after which they will make contact with their counterparts there.
Chaterpaul had sustained a single stab injury to his lower abdomen and collapsed to the ground a short distance away from his grandfather’s house, where he was vacationing in Grant 1802 Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne, on the morning of March 9.
He was rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
His grandfather, Zamen Silvanish, also known as ‘Haniff,’ 52, had explained that his daughter and her family along with several other relatives ventured to Guyana for his grandson’s wedding, which was held at his residence.
However, according to the man, on Tuesday, March, 8, the family was playing music and having a small get-together when three men who live in the area entered the yard.
According to the grandfather, after some time he noticed the men “rolling dope” and immediately asked them to leave. However, he said, the men, who according to him are brothers, began chucking him up “and them give me one hunch and we put them out and lock the gate and me na say nothing. We go in the yard and them start cuss up and so how them go kill abbay and thing. And me na worry with them me just go in and lock up.”
However, abount five minutes after the men began damaging several of the vehicles parked in the street, some family members proceeded to the street. It was then that Chaterpaul was unexpectedly dealt a stab wound.
According to relatives, Chaterpaul did not engage the men at any point but only proceeded into the street after they heard the men were hitting the vehicles, and it was then that he was attacked.
After he collapsed on the street, relatives immediately rushed to his assistance while the suspects, who reside several houses away, made good their escape.
