…remaining 2 to face trial
Following in the footsteps of 18-year-old Naomi Adams, who recently admitted to the unlawful killing of Pariedeau Mars, called “Perry”, in 2016, 20-year-old Nikkisha Dover and Orin Mc Crae also confessed to the crime on Monday when they, along with two other accused, reappeared at the Demerara High Court.
Dover and Mc Crae opted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, which read that on May 12, 2016 in the county of Demerara, they killed Mars in the furtherance of a robbery.
Dover, who had no legal representation on her first appearance, was represented by state assigned Attorney Mohammed Ali while Attorney Adrian Thompson represented Mc Crae. The State was represented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy in association with Sarah Martin.
After Justice Navindra Singh had accepted the plea of both accused on Monday, he ordered that a probation report be prepared for both of them, given their tender age when the crime was committed. Their sentencing was,
therefore, deferred to July 12, 2019.
As Dover and Mc Crae have pleaded guilty, the remaining two co-accused, Timothy Paul Chance and Andre Benjamin are expected to face a murder trial.
Chance’s Attorney, Nigel Hughes requested a date in the new week for the commencement of hearings while a date is yet to be set for the trial of Benjamin, who is also being represented by Thompson.
Initially, the five defendants mentioned were all charged jointly for the capital offence of murder when they made their first court appearance in May of 2016 and were remanded to prison. Adams, called “Shortee”, was the first of the five to plead guilty to manslaughter when she made her first appearance at the High Court. “Shortee” is expected to be sentenced for the offence on June 24, 2019.
According to Police reports, Mars, 75, of Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Greater Georgetown, was found bound and beaten in his home on the day in question by his wife. He was subsequently rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigations revealed that an accused, who was 17 years old at the time, was known to the now dead man as she would visit his home from time to time. It was further revealed that the said accused confessed to conspiring with her boyfriend to rob the elderly man as he was home alone on the day of the incident.
