21-Y-O remanded over deadly Edinburgh village attack
May 15 2026
A 21-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a hire car driver was on Friday remanded to prison after appearing before the Albion Magistrate’s Court on a manslaughter charge.
Frank McAllister of Heat Burn Village, East Bank Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias, who refused bail after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense.
The court heard that on May 12, 2026, at Edinburgh Village, East Bank Berbice, McAllister allegedly unlawfully killed 42-year-old hire car driver Oswain Lawson of Lot 46 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.
McAllister was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Sherry Williams told the court that investigations are still ongoing and that the case file remains incomplete pending the postmortem examination report. She explained that the matter will eventually be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Williams strongly objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the violent circumstances surrounding Lawson’s death. The prosecutor noted that a knife was allegedly used to inflict the fatal injuries and stressed that the victim succumbed to multiple wounds.
Defense attorney Chandra Sohan, however, urged the court to grant bail, arguing that manslaughter is a bailable offence. He maintained that his client was not a flight risk and would comply with any conditions imposed by the court.
After considering submissions from both sides, Magistrate Matthias denied bail due to the gravity of the allegation. McAllister, who appeared calm throughout the proceedings, was remanded to prison until June 4, when the matter will continue at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.
Police reported that the incident stemmed from an argument between Lawson and McAllister at a shop in Edinburgh Village around 1:30 hrs on May 12. Investigators said the confrontation escalated, during which Lawson was allegedly stabbed several times.
According to investigators, Lawson later drove away from the scene in motor car HD 8644, but the vehicle subsequently ended up in a trench at Edinburgh Village.
Public-spirited citizens reportedly pulled him from the vehicle in an unconscious state and rushed him to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The matter was initially treated as a fatal accident. However, police later discovered several suspected stab wounds to Lawson’s upper body, prompting investigators to revisit the scene. Acting on information received, officers later arrested McAllister.
Police said Lawson sustained four stab wounds to the right side of his chest and five to his back.
A postmortem examination conducted by Government Pathologist Vivekanand Brijmohan determined that Lawson died from multiple incised stab wounds, which resulted in severe hemorrhaging and collapsed lungs.
Relatives of the accused packed the courtroom during Friday’s hearing and offered words of encouragement as McAllister was escorted from the court.
