Driver jailed for 58 months for causing death of mechanic

Gavin Barckoy was on Tuesday sentenced to 58 months’ imprisonment by Magistrate Judy Latchman after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Barckoy who was unrepresented in court on Tuesday, was found guilty of causing the death of mechanic Romalo Roach. The accident occurred on October 9, 2011 and Roach died five days later.

Romalo Roach
Romalo Roach

Police Sergeant Vishnu Hunt, prosecuting, told the court that Barckoy, on approach to North Road while on Cummings Street failed to stop and collided with Roach who was on a motorcycle.

He said the damage shown on Barckoy’s car was consistent with it hitting the motorcyclist and not what he claimed; that the motorcyclist ran into the side of his vehicle.

Hunt added that Barckoy himself admitted under cross-examination that his judgment was poor.

On October 9, 2011 at about 14:25 hrs Barckoy was driving his motor car, PKK 216, south along the eastern side of Cummings Street. As he approached North Road, he failed to stop and collided with the motorcyclist Roach who was riding along North Road. As a result of the collision, Roach fell and sustained severe head injuries.

Gavin Barckoy
Gavin Barckoy

Roach was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Barckoy had been represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson and pleaded not guilty to the charge when he first appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on January 5, 2012.

On that occasion he was granted bail in the sum of $300,000.

Roach, who succumbed to his injuries on October 14, 2011 was 23 years old with a one-year-old son and another baby on the way.