Kaieteur News grenade attack trio to stand trial in High Court
– bail denied for number one accused
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday ruled that prima facie cases have been established against the three men accused of lobbing a grenade at a vehicle belonging to Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, last June.
The three accused to stand trial in the High Court – Janeil Howard, Alfie Garraway and Leroy Williams. A fourth suspect, Shemar Wilson (top right), is wanted by the authorities.
As a result of the ruling, Alfie Garraway, Janeil Howard and Leroy Williams have been committed to stand trial at the High Court.
Williams, 25, of 11 D’Urban Backlands; Howard, 20, of 322 Section ‘C’ Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara; and Garraway, 36, of Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, are accused of conspiring together with other persons to cause an explosion by way of throwing a grenade, likely to endanger lives and cause damage to property.
The offence occurred on June 4, 2015, at Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.
According to reports, on the day in question, a member of the Kaieteur News security staff heard an unusual sound near Lall’s Toyota Lexus SUV, PRR 8398. The vehicle was parked on the western side of Saffon Street outside the building housing the newspaper’s offices.
On checking the front of the vehicle, the staff member spotted a grenade lying near one of the front tyres. Video footage from the company’s CCTV cameras showed a grey-coloured vehicle slowing as it approached Lall’s vehicle. The driver accelerated after the explosive was thrown.
Shemar Wilson, also known as ‘Abdue’, is still wanted by the Police for questioning in relation to the grenade attack. He is 20 years of age and his last known addresses have been given as 43 North Sophia and 51 West La Penitence, Georgetown.
Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers requested bail be denied for the number one accused, Alfie Garraway, who had been released on $300,000 bail by the High Court. Garraway, who was represented by Attorney Stanley Moore, asked the court to take into consideration that his client has attended every sitting of the hearing of the matter – during the Preliminary Inquiry.
The Chief Magistrate in turn said that based on the seriousness of the offence and the penalty it attracts, she would not grant bail to his client and that he would therefore again remanded to prison.
The three men will stand trial at the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
When given a chance to address the court, each of the men said, “I’m innocent.”
Leroy Williams who is known for being disruptive at every sitting of the court hearing once again yesterday showcased his bad temper in the courtroom by unlocking his handcuffs and waving around while staring at the reporters who were sitting in the courtroom.
One reporter on seeing Williams’s handcuffs loose quickly picked up her bag and dashed through the lone door. The man’s mother on observing that her son handcuffs was loose, hysterically shouted “No! No! No! Calm down son.”
A few months ago, Williams caused pandemonium when he had stormed back in the court after he was being escorted to the holding cell.
Williams prior to causing chaos in the court had hurled a bottle of water at a female reporter, hitting her in the chest as she was standing on the stairway, capturing video footage of prisoners as they were being taken to the prison van.