Five men who are accused of beating a 54-year-old man to death over stolen jewellery were on Thursday charged with murder.
Those charged are Brian Evans, 22, a labourer, of Lot 145 Number 12 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB); Ryon Dhranraj, 27, a carpenter, of Lot 203 Bath Settlement, WCB; Samuel Vanbrook, 22, a construction worker, of Bath Settlement, WCB; James David, 19, a laborer, of Lot 223 Number 10 Village, WCB; and Leeward Chung, 21, a laborer, of Bath Settlement, WCB.
The quintet appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court.
They were not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on November 13, 2021, at Water Loo Bath Settlement, WCB, they murdered Bheim Evans called ‘Lailo’.
They were all remanded to prison until December 8, 2021.
According to the reports on the day in question, at around 20:00 hours, Evans’ son was on his way home on a street in Block “D” Bath Settlement, WCB when he was attacked by the five accused who were armed with a cutlass, rope, and chain.
They told the now dead man’s son that his father went into one of their homes and stole a silver chain, a gold chain, and eight silver rings. A Police report said the accused persons dealt Evans’ son several lashes about his head, face, and back while asking him for the supposed stolen articles.
His father then came to his rescue. However, when the elderly man denied stealing the articles, the accused persons beat him with a rope and cutlass before wrapping him in a one-ton rice sack after which they dragged him about 300 feet into another street in the said village.
They then threw him on the grass parapet and told his son to take him home. The son went to the Fort Wellington Police Station and reported the matter.
Evans was picked up by the Police in an unconscious condition and taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he died while receiving treatment. The matter was investigated and the quintet was arrested and charged.
