DPP withdraws murder charge against former murder accused

A murder charge against one of the two men accused of murdering a 60-year-old building contractor has been withdrawn. This was following advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

This morning when the matter was called, the Magistrate informed 28-year-old Kacey Heyliger of 42 Shell Road Kitty, that the charge against him has been withdrawn. Heyliger was the first person charged with the murder of Peter Gonsalves.

On February 8, 2021, following a confession, the police charged 25-year-old Daniel Parris, a miner of ‘D’ Field South Sophia, Georgetown.

Parris was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 7, 2020, while in the company of another, at Garnett Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he murdered Peter Gonsalves, in the course of furtherance of a robbery. He is on remand at prison.

The court heard that while in custody, Parris confessed to the murder and even took detectives to a location in Kuru Kuru on the Linden Soesdyke Highway, where the now dead man’s stolen bike was recovered.

According to reports, the 60-year-old of Pere Street Kitty, Georgetown was killed on December 7, 2020, at around 21:45 hrs on Garnett Street, Newtown, Georgetown in front of a liquor restaurant. Investigations disclosed that Gonsalves was the owner of a black and white XR motorcycle bearing registration number CJ 600 and valued at $450, 000.

It was reported that Gonsalves was proceeding west along Garnett Street when he was attacked by two men on a motorcycle, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The gunman shot him several times after which he fell to the ground. Further information revealed that after the victim fell, he was relieved of his motorcycle by the man who was a pillion rider.

The men then made good their escape. Gonsalves was pronounced dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Technicians. In 2019, Heyliger was charged with the 2018 murder of America Street, Georgetown money changer Shawn Nurse called ‘Fabulous’.

Following a Preliminary Inquiry in the Magistrate Courts, the charge against him was discharged due to insufficient evidence.