The man who was arrested after the killing of Jason Bowen, who was strangled during a suspected robbery on Church Street, was yesterday charged with the crime and remanded to prison.
Ashaka John, 24, of Lot 109 ‘A’ Field, Sophia, was not required to plead to the indictable charge that on October 12th, 2019, at Church Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, he murdered Bowen.
The charge was read by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.
John was represented by attorney George Thomas, who told the court that his client, who is a block maker, is suffering from “mental problems” and had been seeing a doctor at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) for the past few years. He proceeded to make an application for his client to be examined so police can determine his mental state.
Prosecutor Neville Jeffers then disclosed that John was taken to the GPH for an examination and was told to return to the hospital on Friday. The magistrate subsequently remanded John to prison and instructed him to return to court on November 7th.
In a statement, the police said the attack occurred at around 9.38 pm. It occurred in front of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street.
According to a security guard, the suspect and the now deceased man were seen scuffling and the suspect wrapped a belt around the victim’s neck and strangled him. The suspect was apprehended by public-spirited citizens and handed over to the police.
The security guard, who works at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, told Stabroek News that she was in the hut when she heard a man calling out for help. “I turn off the light and was inside the hut. But I hear a man hollering ‘Security! Security! He robbing me.’
