A 28-year-old taxi-driver of Agricola appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court accused of receiving a stolen gun and was remanded to prison.

Sheldon Gorrick was last year charged with possession of a firearm and several rounds of ammunition belonging to a miner of Bartica, Essequibo whose home was attacked and robbed by gunmen during the Bartica killings.

When Gorrick of 146 Titus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson he was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge of receiving stolen property.

He was also not required to plead to the same charge when the case was transferred to Magistrate Hazel Octive who ordered that he be remanded to prison.

It is alleged that between February 7 and July 28 last year, Gorrick received a .38 revolver valued $119,480, knowing same to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

Prosecutor Griffith stated that investigations had revealed that the revolver was linked to the Bartica massacre.
She also stated that Gorrick had two other matters, possession of firearm and possession of ammunition, pending against him since last year in Magistrate Octive’s court. Meanwhile, in Magistrate Octive’s Court, Gorrick informed her that he was admitted to bail in the sum of $150,000 when those matters were taken to the High Court but the magistrate told him that no receipt or note of that was indicated on the case file.

Gorrick still argued that he was on bail for the other matters and should be admitted to bail for this matter since the police took so long to bring the charge against him. However his bail application was refused and he will return to court on July 27.

According to a police press release issued last year, investigations had revealed that the firearm belonged to a miner, Chunilall Babulall, of Bartica, Essequibo whose home was attacked and robbed by gunmen who invaded the community during the Bartica killings on February 17 last year.