Ann’s Grove driver remanded for causing Reonol Williams’ death, dumping body

The 53-year-old driver who confessed to hitting down Reonol Williams on May 22, 2022, at Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD) before dumping his body in a trench, was on Friday slapped with six charges.

Daniel Melbourne of Lot 53 Middle Street, Ann’s Grove, ECD appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving; failure to report an accident; failure to render assistance; failure to produce his vehicle for examination, giving false information to the Police, and attempting to obstruct the course of justice.

He was remanded to prison until July 22. Melbourne was represented by Attorney-at-Law Patrie Henry while Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva is representing the interest of Williams’ family.

According to reports, the accident occurred on May 22, 2022, at Enmore Public Road, ECD, and involved Melbourne’s motorcar PAB 2552.

Following the accident, Melbourne was arrested and released on $30,000 station bail after fabricating an alibi, inventing a distant cousin, and insisting that the Police had framed him. He even provided Police with photographs of him in an interior location on the date and time the accident took place.

However, weeks later, under pressure from relatives of Williams and the public, Melbourne was rearrested by crack sleuths to whom he gave a detailed and graphic account of how he struck down Williams on the Enmore, ECD Public Road, reassured onlookers that he was taking the injured man to the hospital, then drove a mile away with Williams in the back of his Toyota Fielder Wagon, and dumped him in a trench at Coldingen, ECD.

He allegedly told ranks that while transporting 50-year-old Williams in his vehicle, he noticed that his body was motionless, therefore, he stopped his vehicle at a bridge at Coldingen, and disposed of the body in the trench.

Melbourne then led detectives to a shallow trench, where he pointed ranks to the partly submerged skeletal remains of Williams. He also admitted that the initial information that he gave suggesting that he was in the interior was false.

A post-mortem examination conducted by Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh revealed that Williams died as a result of multiple injuries to the body due to a motor vehicle accident.

Williams is a father of two. He was working as a labourer with a construction company at the time of his demise.