MARLON CALLENDER was on Wednesday found not guilty by Justice Sandil Kissoon for the 2015 killing of East Bank Demerara (EBD) fisherman, Envil Pollard called “Rastaman”.

On the morning of January 29, 2015, Callender, 27, a former security guard at Pritipaul Singh Investment, allegedly shot and killed Pollard, 45, a father of eight, at the establishment’s wharf at Mc Doom, EBD.
Callendar had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and a 12-member jury was selected for the case.

During a previous court appearance, the accused opted to give an unsworn statement from the box in which he admitted to shooting the deceased but stated that it was in self-defense.

According to his account, on the day in question, he received two radio messages from his colleague, Terrence Philips, that the fisherman was under the company’s wharf and refused to remove despite several warnings.

The accused told the court that upon visiting the wharf, he had a verbal confrontation with Pollard which led to him firing a warning shot. It resulted in the fisherman cursing and threating to kill him.
Callendar said Pollard had advanced to him with a knife at which point he shot him with his company-issued firearm, resulting in his death.

The State was represented by prosecutors Lisa Cave and Mandel Moore. Callender was represented by Attorney Everton Singh-Lammy.
The jury examined witness statements, police evidence, reports and other facts surrounding the case and, following deliberations, arrived at a unanimous ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Sister of the deceased, Sharon Pollard, who spoke to the media following the verdict, said justice was not served for her brother.

“Justice wasn’t handed down fairly because what happened to the eight children without a father? We don’t have any grievances or nothing against he [Callendar] but as I said, he get away from man but he won’t get away from God,” she said.

Meanwhile, wife of the deceased, Ashmoon Khan collapsed on the floor of the courts’ hallway crying and clutching a photo of her children while saying: “This is not fair, they robbed my children their rights.”