Taxi driver on $ 300,000 bail for Durban Street dragging death
Accused: Kester Lewis (photo Bigsmithnewswatch.com)
Kaieteur News – Kester Lewis, a 29-year-old man who allegedly stabbed and killed an East Coast Demerara (ECD) man on Durban Street, was charged with manslaughter yesterday and placed on $ 300,000 bail.
He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the matter was heard.
Lewis killed David Barclay, 29, of Triumph, ECD on Sunday, Dec. 27, following an argument over $ 700 on Durban Street, Lodge.
The deceased: David Barclay
Police in a statement said the victim, David Barclay, approached the Lewis, who is believed to be a mechanic, to repair his vehicle after he encountered problems on Durban Street.
In court, Lewis’s attorney-in-law gave up his vocation as an electrical salesman. They said, “the victim approached the suspect in an attempt to repair a tire on his vehicle, and in the process of making a payment; there was a dispute over the said charge, when the suspect took a knife and cut a tire on the victim’s car. ”
Lewis told police he jumped into his vehicle after the argument and while driving away, Barclay jumped on the right hand door and grabbed him, causing him to lose control. He crashed into several parked vehicles.
But new details had emerged indicating that Lewis was acting as a taxi driver that morning and had taken Barclay home for a spare tire and upon returning to Durban Street with the spare tire, Lewis asked for $ 4,000 for the price.
Barclay gave him $ 5,000. However, Lewis claimed he had no change. Barclay then gave him $ 3,300 and began an explosion over the short money.
Further, it was reported that Barclay then entered his car where he left his child’s mother to find more change and Lewis took a knife out and smashed the spare tire, which led to a heated argument between the two.
Lewis then got into his car and when Barclay tried to grab him from the window, Lewis continued on to Barclay and turned
had been into five parked cars.
Video footage seen in this newspaper showed Barclay’s mother holding her immovable body, screaming for help.
Meanwhile, Lewis is due to appear in court again on January 25.