Five policemen have been charged with the murder of 32-year-old Gavin Kennard Douglas, who died at the West Demerara Regional Hospital after he was allegedly beaten while in police custody at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station on October 31.
The accused, Tiansay Thomas, Wencill Marshall, Joel Newsum, Bevis Lyle and Ariff Haniff, appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The Chief Magistrate read the capital charge to them during the proceedings.
She informed the five accused that they were jointly charged with murdering Gavin Douglas at Vreed-en-Hoop on October 31, 2026.
The five were not required to enter pleas to the indictable charge, which is triable only in the High Court.
The five accused were remanded to prison until November 17, with the case transferred to the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court for further proceedings.
They all had legal counsel.
Douglas, a labourer of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, was arrested on October 31 in connection with an alleged armed robbery committed three days earlier at New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop.
According to the initial account provided by the Guyana Police Force, he was taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station at about 11:36 am.
At around midday, while being placed in the lock-ups, he reportedly became aggressive and resisted police ranks before being restrained and placed in a cell.
However, at about 12:45 pm, he was found frothing at the mouth and was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he died while receiving medical attention.
A post-mortem examination conducted on November 2 by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh determined that Douglas died from a brain haemorrhage caused by blunt trauma.
Two Taser studs were also removed from his body and lodged as exhibits.
The death prompted an investigation by the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), with six police ranks initially arrested and questioned as investigators sought to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
