23-year-old Jason Butters, a lance corporal attached at the Guyana Defense Force, was today placed on bail after denying that he caused the death of Ameena Sooklall, who died in December after the vehicle she was traveling in crashed into a median.
Butters was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that on December 15, 2020, at the McDoom Public Road, East Bank Demerara, Butters drove motorcar PPT4166 in a manner dangerous to the public and thereby caused the death of Sooklall.
Butters pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was represented by attorney Stanley Moore who told the court that the man was innocent and requested reasonable bail. He also informed that the man was placed on station bail.
The court prosecutor did not object to bail given that the man was already granted station bail. He told the court that according to the facts, on the day in question, at 23:45 hrs, Butters was driving the vehicle and he fell asleep while passing the Shell Gas Station in the vicinity of where the accident occurred. The prosecutor said that the man fell asleep which caused the car to crash into the median on the road.
Sooklall, who was in the passenger seat received injuries about her body and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Butters was placed on $150,000 bail and is expected to make his next court appearance on March 23 at Court 5.
According to a report by Guyana Standard, the 33-year-old woman of Lot 27 Providence, East Bank Demerara was the mother of a 10-year-old.
