Murder Trial Halted After Accused Deemed Mentally Unfit

October 11 2024- The trial of 26-year-old Shemar Harvey, accused of murdering 18-year-old Christopher Mansfield, has been halted after Harvey was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.

Harvey, of Albouystown, Georgetown, is charged with fatally shooting Mansfield on March 31, 2019.

The trial, which commenced at the Demerara High Court, was brought to an abrupt stop following a forensic psychiatric evaluation. The report revealed that Harvey was unable to comprehend the legal proceedings or participate in his defense, prompting Justice Sandil Kissoon to abort the trial.

As a result, Harvey has been remanded to prison, where he will undergo treatment. Any future legal proceedings will depend on his recovery and mental fitness.

The case was prosecuted by State Counsel Delon Fraser and Alvaro Ramotar, while Harvey was represented by attorney Ronald Bostwick.

Mansfield, a resident of Barr Street, Albouystown, was shot in the chest on his way to a football field in West La Penitence. He collapsed on Non Pareil Street and, despite efforts to save him, was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Harvey was committed to stand trial in 2021 following a Preliminary Inquiry conducted by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.