A man was yesterday remanded to prison after he was charged with the murder of fellow taxi driver Quincy Weekes, who he is accused of stabbing to death last Wednesday during an argument over $500 and a parking space.
Troy Griffith, 28, of Lot 6 ‘B’ Carol’s Place, Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared before Principal Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison.
The matter was adjourned until November 18 for report and statements.
Weekes, also known as ‘Balu’, 41, of Lot 31 Nelson Street, Mocha, EBD was stabbed several times about his body around 8.15hrs at Mocha Access Road, EBD.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor attached to the emergency response team.
Following the fatal altercation, Griffith was taken to the hospital for medical treatment and later taken into custody.
The police had said investigation revealed that Weekes and the suspect are known to each other, since they both operated private hire taxis at the Mocha entrance on a daily basis.
According to the police, Weekes and Griffith had a misunderstanding some time ago over $500. On the day in question, the police said the men were at the Mocha Access Road plying their trade when an argument started between them over the parking of their respective cars.
It was then that Griffith allegedly armed himself with a knife and stabbed Weekes several times.
In an interview with Stabroek News, the dead man’s grandmother, Shirley Weekes, explained that her grandson was living with her and had been a taxi driver for approximately two years.
The woman mentioned that he would usually communicate with her before leaving for work.
“Balu leave to go to work this morning but normally before he leave after five, we would talk and I gon tell he well you know be careful on the road and these thing and so. And then I see he coming in back after he left but then I know he does come to get this boy [his son] ready to go to school. When he come he say the boy [the suspect] ask he to change some money and something but is about some $500. So he say he had to change some $1000 and he give the boy 5 before he go over the river and he was supposed to give the boy another 5. So I had $5000 and I say, ‘Balou take out the $500 from this $5000 and give the boy.’ He say ‘granny I already give the boy the $500’ and he did not turn back and take the $5000 out of my hand. The next news I hear is meh grandson the boy stab he at the road head and that was it. Meh bawl! This boy and Balu is really good friends because this boy got a baby the other day with somebody and this boy take Balu to be the godfather. So they got to be really good friends, they got to be close.”
