“Ratty/Mad Dog” pleads his innocence at appellate court

-“It’s all lies”—Attempted murder convict pleads innocence at appellate court

When Stafrei Alexander’s appeal against his attempted murder conviction was recently called at the Court of Appeal of Guyana, he remarked, “It’s all lives”, pleading his innocence.

A jury found Alexander, 40, also known as “Ratty” and “Mad Dog”, guilty of trying to kill Curtis Thom, whom he had shot in 2015. As a result, in July 2018, he was given a life sentence.

Justice Sandil Kissoon imposed that punishment. Alexander launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence shortly after, citing approximately 11 grounds.

He makes the following arguments: the jury was misdirected by the Judge about the law pertaining to attempted murder; and that the Judge did not sufficiently present his defence to the jury.

The convict also argues that the trial Judge misdirected the jurors in relation to sufficient identification evidence. 

As such, he contends that the verdict should be overturned because it is irrational and cannot be upheld considering the evidence adduced during his trial.

Alexander, who did not have an attorney, argued that he would represent himself when his case was brought before the appellate court recently, telling the Judges, “I don’t trust lawyers. They do not fight cases professionally.  I truly want to fight my case myself.”

At this juncture, Alexander was reminded by Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), that he was facing a very serious charge and that he needed legal representation.

Considering this, the Chancellor informed the convict that he will be given a State-assigned lawyer. But Alexander insisted that he understood the case and wanted to represent himself.

He claimed that he was found guilty on a “framed charge.” 

He told the Judges that all the evidence before them was false and that the now-deceased Stanley Moore, SC, his prior attorney, did not use the evidence he provided for him to submit at his Demerara High Court trial.

“It’s all lies”, the offender insisted.

The Court of Appeal informed Alexander once more that he was being charged with a severe crime and that an attorney would be assigned to help him with the legal aspect of his case.

Alexander accepted the court’s offer. 

His case will be called again on May 2, 2024, for reports. 

Besides the Chancellor, Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory-Barnes and Rishi Persaud are also sitting on Alexander’s case.

Alexander shot Thom several times on the morning of March 23rd, 2015, at the man’s 138 Laing Avenue, Georgetown home.  

The injured man was subsequently rushed by his wife to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted as a patient for some seven weeks.

Then in 2022, Alexander and Owen Belfield were sentenced to life imprisonment and 14 years’ respectively for the 2015 murder of Linden businessman Richard Remington.

Both were convicted of the capital offence by a jury. Alexander must serve 25 years behind bars before he becomes eligible for parole.

Reports state that the decomposed remains of Remington were found in a clump of bushes along a track in the vicinity of Matthews Lane in Christianburg/ Cholmondeley Hill, Linden, Region 10.

Remington was shot twice to his right-side temple. A forensic pathologist gave the man’s cause of death as gunshot injuries to the head.

Alexander was one of the six inmates who broke out from the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown on July 9, 2017. He was recaptured about three weeks later in an unfenced yard at Topoo Village, Corentyne.