Accused shooter bonded, victim also wants prosecution discontinued
THE June 4 shooting of Elroy Newtown had its sequel in two Courts yesterday when the alleged shooter and the victim faced different charges.
Imran Khan, 23, of Lot 11 Austin Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton on an indictable charge of discharging a loaded firearm.
He was accused of having, with intent to maim, disfigure and cause grievous bodily harm, discharged a loaded firearm at Newton.
Attorney-at-law Mrs. Pamela De Santos, for Khan, said he and his brother were attacked and robbed by the virtual complainant and two accomplices but no firearm was found on the accused.
Only spent shells were recovered on the roadway, the lawyer stated.
Police Inspector Joel Ricknauth, prosecuting, said the case file has to be returned to the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further advice because Newton informed the Police that he does not wish to proceed with the matter.
Khan was put on $60,000, in that case, until July 19.
Newton, who is a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), was granted $65,000 bail in the same Court where he was charged, indictably, with robbery under arms.
The allegation against him is that, on June 4, too, being armed with a gun, he robbed Safraz Khan of $2M belonging to Abdul Khan.
Other Attorney-at-law Mr. Gregory Gaskin, representing Newton, said the latter has been a GDF soldier for 13 years and does not want the case to go forward.
Newton has to make his next appearance on July 19, as well.
Imran Khan also made an appearance in front of Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson and pleaded not guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Newton.
However, the latter informed the Court that he does not wish to proceed with that case either, and Khan was placed on a bond to keep the peace for two years and ordered to pay $30,000 costs.
In that Court, Police Inspector Stephen Telford, prosecuting, said Khan and his brother were victims of an attack by Newtown, who was armed with a gun and the defendant lashed the virtual complainant with a baseball bat.