Almost a week after one of his accomplices was fatally shot during a robbery in Industry on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), 35-year-old Sherwayne Freemon was charged and remanded to prison while the police are on the hunt for the other two suspects.
Freemon of Lot 2389 Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara (WBD) made his appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alisha George on Monday where the charge was read to him. The robbery occurred on January 25th.
According to the police, Freemon pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison by Magistrate George. The matter was then adjourned until February 13th for statements.
According to a release from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), a 46-year-old carpenter and his 49-year-old wife were held up by armed bandits at Industry Access Road, ECD at about 21:45 hrs on January 25th when they were closing up their food stand business.
It was said that the two bandits who were armed stole one red Note 10 cellphone valued $46,000 and $2,000 cash.
According to the police investigation, the carpenter and his wife who is a food vendor had just closed their food stand which is located on the western side of the Industry Access Road. They were about to board a taxi to head home when they were intercepted by the bandits.
The police said that one of the suspects placed a handgun to the carpenter’s face and relieved him of the mentioned articles that he had in his pants pockets.
The carpenter told the police that during the robbery there were about four men standing across from them on the other side of the road when suddenly he heard two loud explosions suspected to be gunshots. The carpenter added that he then heard one of the suspects telling another to “run”. The bandits then fled.
The police release further stated that later on the said night at about 22:57 hrs, Freemon took 26-year-old Akeem Granville who lived at Lot 444 Pattensen\ Turkeyen and who had a gunshot wound to his chest to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It was said that Freemon was further questioned by investigators whom he told that he and the now dead Granville were friends. He related how he came to be involved in the robbery.
According to the police, Freemon said he drove his motorcar to Industry and turned west through a side street when Granville told him to stop and wait in the car. He said Granville and two accomplices ‘Naldo’ and ‘Chicks’ then exited the vehicle and went up to the two victims and robbed them. Freemon said a few moments later he heard several gunshots and then saw Granville, ‘Naldo’ and ‘Chicks’ running towards the car and entered it.
The accused said that Granville told him that he had been shot in his chest and was bleeding. As a result, he drove to ‘D’ Field Sophia where ‘Naldo’ and ‘Chicks’ exited the car and went away while he then took Granville to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The police said that on January 27th, they contacted the licensed firearm holder who had shot Granville on Crown Dam Industry.
According to the police, the man told them that he and a few friends were standing on the said road when they heard the sound of a firearm being cranked and as such he immediately looked across the road and saw three men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.
Upon realizing that it was a robbery, the man said that he attempted to assist the victims and as he approached them, the armed suspect pointed a firearm at him. He said he became fearful for his life and as a result he drew his licensed firearm from his holster and discharged a round in the suspect’s direction.
He said the three men then ran off and entered a grey-coloured motorcar and drove off.
He said he then enquired from the victim and learnt that the men had robbed them of a cellphone and wallet.
According to the police, the man told them that he was unaware that any of the suspects suffered injuries because they ran away. He then handed over the licensed firearm and three live 9mm ammunition to one of the police detectives. It was said that the gun was swabbed for gunpowder residue.
