Magistrate Priya Beharry yesterday ordered that the driver of the motor van who was allegedly involved in the accident that resulted in the deaths of a husband and wife be remanded to prison when he appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Thirty-three-year-old Christopher Evans, a father of one and a mechanic/farmer of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to two separate charges of causing death by dangerous driving and one charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Evans is accused of driving motor van GJJ 7066 in a dangerous manner which resulted in an accident that caused the death of Marlyn Alecia and Albert Pearson on August 16 at Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara.
He is also accused on the same day and place of operating or being in charge of the said motor van when his blood alcohol level was 116 microgrammes, exceeding the alcohol intake limit of 35 microgrammes.
Prosecutor Munilall Seetaram stated that on the day in question at about 6.30 pm, Evans was proceeding north along the western side of the Friendship Public Road in the van when he somehow ended up on the eastern side of the road.
He related that because of this, Evans collided with the Pearsons who were proceeding south along the eastern side of the road on motor cycle CF 1626.
He said that the impact of the collision threw the Pearsons into a trench on the eastern side of the road while Evans also landed in the same trench but to the north of where the Pearsons had ended up.
Seetaram said that several public-spirited citizens took the Pearsons out of the trench but the couple appeared to be dead. The matter was reported to the police station and Evans was arrested and later charged. Meanwhile, attorney Nigel Hughes who represented Evans stated that his client had just left his farm at Soesdyke, EBD, when the accident occurred. He noted that his client exports vegetables.
In his bid to secure bail for his client the lawyer stated that the accident was his client’s first traffic offence and he had no other brushes with the law. “This is the first time he (Evans) has been charged for anything, my client has never been stopped or detained or arrested for anything ever,” the lawyer stated.
Hughes went on to say that if granted bail his client would not interfere with the investigations, adding that he came from a stable family.
Prosecutor Seetaram then interjected stating that he objected to the bail application on the grounds that if released, Evans may continue to commit similar offences.
Hughes then argued that if the only basis for the prosecution to object to the bail application is because of fear that his client may continue to commit the alleged offences, then that matter should be dealt with at the trial.
The prosecutor then stated that if the magistrate should consider granting Evans bail then his driver’s licence should be suspended.
However, the magistrate ordered that Evans be remanded to prison and the matter be transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for September 14.
According to reports the Pearsons who were married for 38 years died on the spot after the pick-up collided with their motorcycle at Garden of Eden, EBD, last Sunday. They were said to be returning to their Land of Canaan, EBD home from a christening at Grove, EBD, when the accident occurred. (Ayanna Blair)
