After five years behind bars, man accused of killing vagrant in self-defence walks free
After being on remand for the last five years and nine months, Marlon Garrett was freed on Monday from a manslaughter charge after High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon ruled that there was insufficient evidence linking him to the crime.
Last month, Garrett of Albouystown, Georgetown, was arraigned before Justice Kissoon for the capital offence of murder but pleaded guilty to the less count of manslaughter.
The charge against Garrett was that on September 11, 2016, at Robb and Bourda Streets, Georgetown, he unlawfully killed Omesh Chateram. The matter was deferred to June 20 for sentencing.
However, when the matter was called on Monday, the High Court Judge changed the man’s plea to not guilty and asked the defence Attorney, Ravindra Mohabir, to request the court to quash the indictment against his client.
According to the Judge, the evidence shows that Garrett was acting in self-defence and in defence of his mother’s property during the incident.
“Marlon Garrett should not have been placed before this court or any other court,” Justice Kissoon said while deeming the case a travesty to the criminal justice system.
State Counsels Taneisha Saygon and Muntaz Ali appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
Media reports stated that Chetram, who was described as a vagrant, was involved in an argument with the then 17-year-old Garrett, during which he was stabbed once in his abdomen. He was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
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