Three accused to stand trial for murders of church elders

The three accused in the murders of pensioners Constance Fraser, 89, and Phyllis Caesar, 77, who were found dead in their South Road and Albert Street, Georgetown home last year, were yesterday committed to stand trial.

Imran Khan, called Christopher Khan, Stephen Jason Andrews, and Phillip Suffrien, all of Albouystown, were committed to stand trial after Georgetown magistrate Judy Latchman found that a prima facie case had been made out against them at the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry into the charge.

The charge against the three men states that between October 2nd and October 3rd, 2017, at Lot 243 South Road and Albert Street, they murdered Fraser and Caesar. The two women were discovered around 9.30 am on October 3rd, 2017 by members of their church, the South Road Full Gospel Assembly, after several efforts to contact them proved futile.

After the prosecution had closed its case on Thursday, Andrews had asked for time to respond.  Andrews yesterday sought to lead his defence but police prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves urged the court to find that based on the whole of the evidence presented, which was not discredited, that a prima facie case was established against the defendants and that they should be committed to stand trial for the crime.

Attorney Saphier Hussain, who represented Suffrien, urged the court to discharge his client since there was no evidence linking him to the crime. He then told the court that he would be calling four witnesses. Those witnesses later testified on behalf of Suffrien.

However, Magistrate Latchman subsequently told all three men that a prima facie case was made out against them and that they were committed to stand trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

The defendants will remain on remand until that time.