Man remanded over murder of Bartica grocer he allegedly set alight

The man accused of murdering Bartica grocer Charles Garraway who died after he was doused with gasoline and then set alight was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Charles Garraway

The allegation is that between August 20 and 21 in the Oku Backdam, Sheldon Grant, 28, murdered Charles Garraway. The defendant was not required to enter a plea to the capital offence when it was read to him by the acting chief magistrate.

In giving the facts of the case, Prosecutor Stephen Telford told the court that on the day in question, the accused took a DVD from Garraway’s shop and refused to pay for it.

According to Telford, after being repeatedly told to pay for the item, the defendant then threatened Garraway that he was going to light him afire. Telford went on to say that Grant left the shop and later returned with a cutlass with which he chopped the deceased about his body before throwing a bucket of gasoline on him and setting him afire.

Garraway died two days after the incident.
Telford said too that in the process, the defendant was badly burnt and had to be hospitalized under police guard. After being discharged from the hospital, the accused was told of the offence and charged.
The unrepresented Grant was remanded to prison. His matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for October 27 for reports and fixtures.