After almost 21 years on the run, Philbert Thomas was yesterday brought before a city court, where he was charged with the murder of his wife, Viola Thomas.
Philbert, also known as ‘Gilbert Thomas,’ 46, was brought before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who read the charge to him.
It is alleged that on September 5th, 1998, he murdered Viola Thomas. He was not required to plead to the indictable offence.
The matter was then adjourned until September 9th, when it will be heard by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
In a press statement issued by the police it was stated that Philbert, who was recently remanded to prison on two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, confessed to the murder.
Prior to his arrest Philbert had been a fugitive in hiding.
He was arrested by the police last month following the stabbing of his ex-girlfriend and her current partner. The stabbing occurred on August 14th, during an argument at Hururu Mission, Berbice. Philbert appeared on August 22nd at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead to the indictable charges and the matter was adjourned until September 6th.
The police had said that Dally Gobin, 48, and her partner, Learmond Smith, 40, were consuming alcohol at the former’s residence at Hururu Mission, Upper Berbice River, where Thomas visited and started an argument with Gobin. During the argument, police alleged that Philbert, who was armed with a knife, stabbed Gobin and Smith.
They were both rushed to Kwakwani Hospital for medical attention and later transferred to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they were both admitted before being discharged.
It was further reported that Alina Thomas a sixty-three-year-old resident of North West District and mother of Viola who saw the defendant’s photo in a daily newspaper. She then went to the Acquero Police Station and made a report that she saw the man who was wanted in connection with the murder of her daughter in the newspaper.
Viola, 23, a resident of Waini, North West District, was fatally stabbed to death on September 5th, 1998.
The police said she was at a fun day when she was attacked and stabbed several times about her body, allegedly by Philbert.
