Duo on trial for 2018 murder of Water St. moneychanger

Kerwin Dos Santos and George Hope– two Freeman Street, East La Penitence Georgetown men– are presently on trial at the High Court in Demerara for the 2018 murder of Water Street, Georgetown moneychanger Sean Nurse, popularly known as “Fabulous”.

The men, both 26, have pleaded not guilty to the indictment which alleged that on February 4, 2018, in the county of Demerara, they murdered Nurse during the course of furtherance of a robbery. They are being represented by the law firm, Hughes, Fields and Stoby.

Attorneys-at-Law Marisa Edwards, Tanesha Saigon, Abiola Lowe, and Delon Fraser are the prosecutors. Dos Santos’ and Hope’s trial is in progress before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall and a 12-member jury following their not-guilty pleas.

According to reports, Nurse, 47, a father of three, of the South Ruimveldt Shopping Plaza, Georgetown was shot once in the face, just under the left eye.

Police Headquarters had reported that Nurse was seated on a chair at the corner of America Street and Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown when a gun-toting man demanded that he hand over his money, including local and foreign currency.

And what he resisted, the gunman shot Nurse in the face before making good his escape, north on Avenue of the Republic and then east into Charlotte Street, Georgetown. The perpetrator was identified as a man wearing a hoodie and a pair of brown trousers.

While examining the crime scene, Police detectives recovered a 9mm spent shell. Hope and Dos Santos were initially charged with Nurse’s murder back in 2018; and following an appearance before a Magistrate, they were remanded to prison.

After finding that a prima facie case had been made against them at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) the following year, the two accused persons were committed to stand trial for the capital offence by a jury before a Judge at the Demerara Criminal Assizes.