Miner charged with Kurupung murder

A miner who allegedly murdered another along the Tabuka Trail, Kurupung, was remanded to prison after the capital charge was read to him yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Robert Scotland

Robert Scotland, whose hand was bandaged when he appeared in court, was not required to plead to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

It is alleged that on August 20 at Tabuka Backdam, Upper Mazaruni he murdered Rawle Mentore.

Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels made a successful application for Scotland to be remanded and for the matter to be transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for September 29.

Mentore, 30, of Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, was reportedly shot four times about the body, with two bullets hitting him in the area of his chest, at about 1.30 pm last Friday. This allegedly happened after he and the accused were involved in an argument which sprung from an old grievance.

Police investigations had revealed that in the course of the argument, Mentore and the accused had chopped each other about the body. Afterwards, the suspect allegedly pulled out an unlicensed firearm and shot Mentore who succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect was later found lying along the trail some distance away bleeding from wounds he reportedly sustained during the confrontation with Mentore.

He was taken into police custody and transported to the Kurupung Medical Centre where he was treated.

The unlicensed .38 Taurus revolver which was reportedly used to wound Mentore, along with forty-nine matching rounds, were recovered by police.