A construction worker was remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with murdering a drinking companion, whose body was found floating in a New Amsterdam canal last week.
27-year-old Jerry Heralall was not required to plead when he was charged with the murder of Cleon Outar in Georgetown.
The charge, read by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, alleges that between January 25th and January 27th, at Republic Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice, he murdered Outar, 28, a labourer of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
Heralall is to appear next at the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court on February 17th. According to information related to the court by the Police Prosecutor, the two men had been consuming alcohol at a bar in Berbice. However, following a misunderstanding, it is alleged that Heralall dealt Outar several lashes about his body. The prosecutor said that Outar was pushed then into a nearby trench after the assault.
Outar’s body was discovered on January 27th by passers-by and they then alerted the police of the discovery.
Stabroek News was told that Outar was last seen on the evening of January 25th consuming alcohol at a bar in New Amsterdam with his wife, Heralall and another friend.
Investigators were initially told that Outar was involved in a fight with two unknown men at the bar during which he sustained an injury to his face. The four then reportedly left the bar and went their separate ways. After gathering information, the police called in Heralall and the other friend for questioning. During interrogation, Heralall reportedly told investigators that he and Outar had a misunderstanding after he requested that Outar’s wife drink with him, to which Outar objected.
Heralall is alleged to have admitted to investigators that he used a piece of wood to deal Outar a lash to his head and about his body. After Outar became motionless, Heralall reportedly told police he dragged him to the nearby canal, where he threw him in and then returned to the bar and continued imbibing with the man’s wife and others.
A post-mortem examination was done and it revealed that Outar died from asphyxiation compounded with a fractured skull and multiple trauma to the body.
