A 32-year-old man has been remanded to prison following charges in connection with the acid attack on two women along East Street, Georgetown, on September 3.
Keron Mervin Daniels, of Uitvlugt Pasture, West Coast Demerara, appeared virtually before Chief Magistrate (acting) Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he was read two counts of throwing a corrosive substance with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The charges stem from injuries suffered by cashier Jillicia Leitch, who sustained severe burns, and 20-year-old Nirmala Sukraj of Good Hope Phase One, East Coast Demerara, who was left with minor burns.
Police said the women were attacked around 15:30hrs after leaving the Balwant Singh Hospital to buy food. A white motorcar reportedly pulled up from behind, and a passenger tossed a glass bottle filled with a corrosive liquid in their direction before speeding off.
Leitch suffered burns to her face, stomach, and left hand, and doctors have said she will need surgery. She has also been left visually impaired. Sukraj was treated at hospital and discharged later that evening.
Prosecutors opposed bail, stressing the seriousness of the offence, which they linked to a personal dispute.
Investigators believe the attack was fueled by a love affair involving Daniels, Leitch, and his partner, the mother of his children. According to police, Daniels and Leitch were briefly involved earlier this year, but tensions erupted when the affair was exposed. Leitch told investigators she felt used and betrayed, while Daniels allegedly became enraged. She also claimed he once suggested she might be pregnant, a claim she denied.
Defence attorneys Ronald Bostwick and Ronald Daniels argued that their client, a father of four children (aged 15, 10, 3, and 1) had no prior convictions and posed no danger to society. They said he was willing to comply with strict conditions, including lodging his passport and signing a recognizance.
The defence also maintained that Daniels was not caught on camera committing the act, that they had not yet been able to review the footage, and that investigators had pressured him into a confession by threatening his wife and child.
The prosecution countered that the CCTV evidence placed Daniels as the driver of the getaway car.
After hearing the arguments, Magistrate McGusty ordered Daniels remanded to prison until September 17, when the case is scheduled to return to court for review of the video evidence.
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