Separate DP for alleged killers of Henry Boys
Murdered: Isaiah and Joel Henry
Kaieteur News – The prosecution is expected to conduct two separate preliminary inquiries (PI) to kill Henry’s boys’ horrors.
Last Tuesday, the three accused of murder made another court appearance at Blairmont Magistrates’ Court, Berbice, before Magistrate Peter Hugh.
The accused men are; Akash Singh, 20, known as “Monkey,” a fisherman from Zeelugt Squatting Area, East Bank Essequibo; his step-brother, Vinod Gopaul, 30, of “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice; and Anil Sancharra, 34, of “Dan pole” and “Rasta,” a laborer from D ‘Edward Village, West Coast Berbice.
Since then, Attorney-at-law, Dexter Todd, has been recorded as the legal representation for Gopaul and Sancharra. Singh remains without legal representation.
Sancharra and Gopaul were slapped on two joint charges and Singh was charged separately with two charges of murder. They were not required to plead to the charges, which allegedly murdered Isaiah and Joel Henry between September 5, 2020 and September 6, 2020, at Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast Berbice.
Remanded, Akash Singh.
Remanded, Anil Sancharra.
Remanded, Vinod Gopaul.
At the last hearing of the matter, the prosecution informed the court that they would hold a PI for Sancharra and Gopaul, who are jointly charged and a separate PI for Singh.
Magistrate Hugh then adjourned the matter until March 2, 2021. On that date, the prosecution is expected to fully disclose all the statements of witnesses who are expected to testify against the three accused.
Gopaul, Sancharra and Singh were further remanded to prison. On their first court appearance, Gopaul and Sancharra repeatedly claimed that they were innocent of the crime charged.
Kaieteur News had reported that Guyana Police (GPF) investigators had announced that they had secured a confession from one of the suspects, who, under questioning, had linked the other two suspects in the horrific double murder.
As such, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, recommended that charges be initiated on the three suspects.
The murder of Henry’s cousins sent shockwaves through the country after their deformed bodies were discovered on September 6, 2020, in clusters of shrubs near a coconut estate in Cotton Tree backdam, West Coast Berbice.
Law enforcement officials for months on end persecuted several leaders and fought violent protests that erupted over the news of the horrific murders.
In August last year, the three defendants set up a cannabis camp and farm in the West Berbice area. When they returned in September, they discovered their camp and cannabis farm had been destroyed. The trio later received information that two young men from the Cotton Tree area were known to trample the hinterland and destroy farms.
Sometime later, Henry’s cousins ventured into the area and two of the suspects asked if they knew anything about cannabis farms being destroyed in the area, and the cousins were said to be laughing.
This annoyed the two men who allegedly kidnapped Gopaul and dealt a cop to the neck of one of Henry’s cousins. Sancharra is alleged to have removed his cuddle and repeated the deed.
According to police, Singh claimed he joined in the break-up after Gopaul and Sancharra threatened to do the same for him.
Singh is alleged to have dealt with X-gaps on the heads of Henry’s cousins, before their bodies were transported to another part of the hinterland and dumped.
The bodies of Isaiah and Joel Henry were later discovered by wild family members in search of the young men, who had been missing since Sept. 5, 2020.
The murders ignited the anger of West Coast Berbice residents, who were involved in violent, racially targeted protests, even as several men were taken into custody for questioning in relation to ‘ the murders over the past four months.
Police are still investigating the death of Haresh Singh, another West Coast Berbice woman, grandson of one of the men originally taken into custody. Haresh was found lying in a patch of grass and bleeding from his nose in the backdam of Village Number Three.