Wayne Marshall, the brother of murdered gangster, Steve Jupiter, was on Tuesday charged with the murder of Mark ‘Lil Mark’ Caesar when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate, Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court One.
Marshall was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on October 1 at Broad and Adelaide Streets, he murdered Caesar of St. Stephens Street Charlestown, Georgetown.
Defence counsel, Vic Puran, told the court that his client was identified as Caesar’s killer during an identification parade. He alleged that police had taken out photographs of Marshall and distributed them to witnesses, for him to be identified as the perpetrator.
He requested that a proper identification parade be con ducted since it is a “set up” and his client is innocent.
Police prosecutor Lionel Harvey refuted the lawyer’s claims, stating that no identification parade was con ducted, but the information received from an eyewitness was enough evidence to institute the charge.
He said that an eyewitness told the police that she saw the accused in a gold- coloured AE 192 motorcar as it was leaving the scene immediately after the shooting, and upon further investigations, the accused was picked up and charged.
The 31- year- old Caesar, who reportedly had links to the underworld, was at the corner of Broad and Adelaide Streets, walking east towards St. Stephens Street where he was about to uplift his car that was parked at a nearby car wash.
Caesar, the victim of a shooting incident late last year, had been linked with Steve Jupiter and two other men who were executed at Cummings Lodge early September over stolen cocaine.
Residents of the St Stephen Street area had told this newspaper that Caesar and Jupiter were “good friends.”
One man said he saw Caesar standing at the corner of Adelaide and Broad Streets, and shortly after a car drove up and opened fire. The man said that from all indications Caesar was being trailed.
Caesar and Hewley Barker, 30, were shot by an off- duty Assistant Superintendent of the Guyana Police Force at Roopa’s bar in Station Street, Kitty in December last year. Barker was fatally shot, while Caesar was shot once in the right side of his back.
Days after Caesar’s execution, Godfrey Grootfaam and Patrick Goodluck were shot dead on Stone Avenue, Campbellville. Police have linked at least one of the weapons used in the Campbellville shooting with the one used to kill Caesar.
It is unclear whether Marshall will be charged with the Campbellville duo’s murders as well.
The matter will continue on October 29, where reports will be served and a date set for trial.
