Teenager charged with Linden businessman’s murder

– slapped with two additional charges

Eighteen-year-old Collis Collision of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, who is on remand for an armed robbery in Kitty, was on Monday arraigned for the murder of businessman Albert “Bolo” Joseph, who was killed in Linden earlier this year. He was also charged with two other armed robberies when he made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court One.

He was remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and the matters were transferred to the Christiansburg Magistrate’s Court for March 2.

Collision was unrepresented.

It is alleged that on January 3 at Sunflower Street, Wismar, Linden, Collision murdered Joseph. The suspect was also accused of committing two armed robbery on the A&R Cosmetics and General Store at Dageraad Avenue, Linden, on January 7, 2011, during which Rajendra Temal was relieved of $250,000 and salesclerk Nigel Muss was relieved of a gold chain.

Collision was not required to plead to the indictments.

In presenting the facts of the murder, police prosecutor, Corporal Venetta Pindar explained that on January 3, at approximately 16:30h, Joseph was sitting on a stool at his business place at Sunflower Street when the accused walked into his premises pretending to be a customer.

As Joseph attempted to assist him, he drew a gun and demanded money and jewellery. She further explained that Joseph took off his jewellery and handed it over to the accused, but during the confrontation, the accused discharged one round, hitting Joseph in his left side abdomen.

The accused made good his escape while the injured man was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex. Joseph was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital because of the severity of his injury, but subsequently died on January 7.

Pindar also told the court that the accused was later arrested and placed on an identification parade where he was positively identified as the perpetrator by two persons.

The prosecutor requested that the accused be further remanded to prison and an early date set for his appearance at the Christiansburg Magistrate’s Court.

However, the accused told the court that he was innocent of the charges brought against him. He explained that he was in the Camp Street Prisons when he was taken out and away to Linden for an identification parade.

He said that while he was in the parade, he was first placed before a female who could not identify him, but when he was placed before a male, he was accused of being the perpetrator of the robbery-murder.

He claimed that he was then taken to the lock-ups and after a while, the police took him back to the identification parade and surprisingly he was identified by the female who could not have identified him the first instance. “I ain’t know about anything! I deh in jail right now for robbing somebody, and got to come back on Wednesday,” he disclosed.