Mechanic committed to stand trial for murdering man over $700 debt
The mechanic who is accused of murdering a young father over a $700 debt, was this morning committed to stand trial at the High Court in Demerara for the capital offence.
Kester Lewis of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 27, 2020, at D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, he murdered 29-year-old, David Barclay.
Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI), Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan ruled that a prima facie case was made out against Lewis to put him on trial by a jury before a judge. Accordingly, Lewis was committed to stand trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes. He was further remanded.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Neville Jeffers.
On Lewis’s first court appearance, he was charged with manslaughter and released on bail. However, shortly after, the charge against him was upgraded to murder based on advice from the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to reports, on the night in question, Barclay approached Lewis in a bid to have a tire on his vehicle repaired. In the process of making a payment, an argument ensued between them over the said sum which was short by $700.
It is alleged that during the ordeal, Lewis took a knife and slashed a tire on the now dead man’s car.
Lewis thereafter jumped into his vehicle and in the process of driving off, he alleged that Barclay jumped onto the right-side front door and held on to him causing him to lose control and resulting in him crashing into several vehicles that were parked.
Barclay, a father of two, of Triumph, East Coast Demerara, who was lying motionless on the roadway was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
