A total of six witnesses today testified in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of a vagrant who was killed while sleeping on the pavement on Regent Street, Georgetown.
Twenty-four-year-old Devon Johnson, who was recently deemed fit by a psychiatrist is currently on trial before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Johnson of Cummings Street Bourda, Georgetown, was charged on December 4,2019, for the murder of Raymond Samaroo and Andrew Benjamin, both of whom were vagrants.
However, the Chief Magistrate is conducting the PI involving Benjamin while Senior Magistrate Leron Daly will be conducting the PI involving Samaroo.
Particulars of the first charge stated that on November 11, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, he murdered Raymond Samaroo.
The second charge stated that on November 11, 2019, at Regent Street, Georgetown, he murdered Andrew Benjamin.
Johnson was not required to plead to the charges after they were read to him by the Magistrate.
Today when the matter was called before the Chief Magistrate, Corporal Dwayne Harvey; Sergeant Orlan Alleyne; Lance Corporal Persaud; Constable Adosafi Felix, along with the deceased’s mother, Elaine Benjamin and her daughter, Simone Adonis testified as part of the prosecution’s case.
The witnesses all gave brief testimonies as to the role they play during the investigation.
The prosecution is being led by Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers. The matter was then adjourned to February 19,2020 for continuation.
According to information, on the day in question, around 21:30hours, Samaroo was standing on the pavement outside Household Plus store when Johnson who was armed with a knife, approached him and dealt him several stabs about his body and made good his escape.
It was reported that a few hours later, around 03:00 hours, Benjamin and another were asleep in the vicinity of Lime Street when Johnson, who was armed with a knife, approached them and dealt Benjamin several chops about his body and made good his escape.
The injured men were then picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where they were pronounced dead on arrival. The matter was then reported and police, upon viewing CCTV footage, saw the defendant stabbing the men. He was then arrested for the offences.
On the defendant’s first court appearance, the prosecutor had informed the court that a medical evaluation was conducted on the defendant and based on the result, he is unfit to be charged for the offences. However, based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) he was charged.
