After spending the last three years on remand for the murder of a retired overseas based University Professor, the five teenagers who were indicted for the capital offence in 2016, on Tuesday made their first appearance at the Demerara High Court before Justice Navindra Singh to face the allegations.
The five accused, who are no longer teenagers were all charged jointly for the capital offence of murder when they made their first court appearance in May of 2016 and were remanded to prison.
In court on Tuesday, 18-year-old Naomi Adams called ‘shortee’ appeared separately to face the indictment, as she opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
The charge against her stated that on May 12, 2016 in the county of Demerara she killed Pariedeau Mars also called ‘Perry’, in furtherance of a robbery.
Attorney-at-law Mark Conway represented the accused, while the state’s case was led by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy, in association with Sarah Martin.
Facts presented by prosecutor Hardy stated that on the day in question, the accused who was 15-years-old at the time visited the home of the deceased where she assisted in tying up the now dead man while the others choked him to death. Adams was found with the deceased cellular phone in her possession, and later confessed to the crime.
Due to her plea, Adams is expected to be sentenced on June 24, 2019 as Justice Singh ordered a probation report to be prepared and presented on the abovementioned date given the fact that the convicted teen was a juvenile when she committed the crime.
Other the hand, Nikkisha Dover, Timithy Paul Chance, Orin Mc Crae and Andre Benjamin appeared together to face the indictment, however, as a result of Dover not having legal representation on Tuesday’s court hearing, the charge was not read to them and Justice Singh deferred the commencement of the case to June 17, for report.
Chance is being represented by Attorney Nigel Hughes, while Mc Crae and Benjamin are being represented by Adrian Thompson, as Dover will be represented by a state assigned lawyer.
According to police reports then, 75-year-old Mars, of Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Greater Georgetown, was found bound and beaten in his home about 18:30h on the day in question by his wife. He was subsequently rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigations revealed that an accused, who was 17-years-old at the time was known to the now dead man as she would visit his home from time to time, it was further revealed that the said accused confessed to conspiring with her boyfriend to rob the elderly man as he was home alone on the day of the incident.
