Former chef, John Caesar, has been acquitted of the 2018 murder of Linden businessman Romel Edison Gomes; but remains imprisoned on a life sentence he is serving for attempted murder.
Following hours of deliberations at the conclusion of his trial, a jury on Wednesday afternoon returned a unanimous verdict, finding Caesar not guilty of committing the capital offence.
Gomes, a father of one, formerly of Lot 53 Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden; was found in a pool of blood in his shop on March 12th, 2018, with a suspected gunshot wound.
He was discovered with his hands bound and a kerchief tied around his mouth.
While cleared of the murder charge, however, Caesar remains imprisoned, serving a life sentence for attempted murder; and an additional four years for narcotic trafficking.
In October, 2018, he was handed a life sentence after being convicted of the attempted murder and robbery of businesswoman Dhanwantie Phulchand in an attack at the City Mall in Georgetown.
His partner, Marissa George, who was also convicted for the crime was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
Then in March of last year, he was handed a four-year sentence and fined $2.5 million after he admitting to being in possession of a quantity of narcotics at the Mazaruni prison.
Caesar had pleaded guilty before the Bartica Magistrate’s Court, to having in his possession three kilogrammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
He was subsequently sentenced and also ordered to pay a fine of $2,587,500.
