Daniel Melbourne, the man accused of causing the death of 50-year-old Reonol Williams more than two months ago was on Friday granted bail in the sum of $1.8m.
Bail was granted by Magistrate Fabayo Azore during Melbourne’s second court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court last Friday.
Melbourne is facing a total of six charges including causing of death by dangerous driving.
Fifty-year-old Williams, called ‘Ram’ was struck down along Enmore Estate Road, East Coast Demerara on May 23. At the time, he was returning home after dropping off his younger sister in Georgetown. He was accompanied by a friend, Davis Peters, who witnessed the accident.
More than two weeks later, Williams’ decomposed body was found in a trench in the vicinity of the Coldingen koker on the East Coast Demerara. The body was found some distance away from the thoroughfare and could not have been easily spotted from the road by passersby.
An autopsy found that Reonol died from injuries consistent with an accident.
Melbourne was subsequently charged and remanded to prison.
During interrogation, Melbourne told investigators from the Major Crimes Unit that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the accident and that the initial information he provided to the police about him being in the interior was false.
He told investigators that after he struck Williams, he placed him in his vehicle with the intention of taking him to the hospital. However, as he was driving, he observed him motionless and as a result he stopped his vehicle at a bridge along the Coldingen railway embankment and disposed of the body in the trench.
Subsequently, he abandoned his vehicle and took a taxi home. Upon arriving home, he told his mother that his vehicle was missing and she should inform the police.
He also told police that he acted alone.
Days after the accident, the car was found in Haslington, East Coast Demerara, with visible spots of blood and no number plates. A photograph taken by an eyewitness at the accident scene allowed traffic ranks to track down the driver.
