NINETEEN-year-old Nandeshwar Persaud, who resides with his parents at Lot 37 Owen Street, Kitty, Georgetown, and 33-year-old route 48 minibus driver Cordell Bourne of Lot 1043 E Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, appeared before Georgetown Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan to answer separate charges of causing death by dangerous driving, and were not required to plead to individual charges that said that on Tuesday, September 17, at Brickdam and Brummell Place, Georgetown, both Persaud, driving motor car PNN 4475 and Bourne, driving minibus BPP 9210, operated in a dangerous manner, causing the death of Gavin De Ally.

Police Corporal Dinero Jones, prosecuting, successfully objected to bail in relation to Persaud on the ground of the nature and gravity of the charge, of which a life was lost. He added that Persaud fled the scene after the accident.
The corporal told the court that Persaud was proceeding south on Brummell Place and failed to stop at the traffic light where there was an intersection and the traffic light flashing amber and red. As a result, the minibus driven by Bourne crashed into Persaud’s vehicle and toppled a few times, causing the death of De Ally, who was the conductor on the said bus.
Corporal Dinero also objected to bail being granted to Bourne citing similar grounds, which included the nature and prevalence of the offence. In addition to that, the court was told that the accused was carrying more passengers than the required amount he was supposed to transport.
Bourne was, moreover, allegedly proceeding at a fast rate at the time of the accident, and had also failed to adhere to the traffic light, causing his minibus to collide with Persaud’s approaching vehicle.
Corporal Dinero added that the conductor, who was not seated properly in the minibus, fell out of the bus and met his demise, whilst other passengers sustained minor injuries.
The police prosecutor successfully requested that both accused drivers’ licences be suspended.
Defence counsel Stephen Louis, representing Persaud, made application for bail, citing that the accused is gainfully employed at ROI Enterprise Inc located at Houston, East Bank Demerara, and that the assumption that his client fled the crime scene is strongly denied.
He said that after the accident Persaud was taken to the hospital to seek medical attention, and that Persaud was later taken to Brickdam Police Station, where he was placed on $100,000 station bail. He said Persaud has been fully cooperating with police investigating the accident.
Bail was refused either accused, and the case will be called again on October 7 before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
The deceased 22-year-old Gavin De Ally had been a student of the University of Guyana and a part-time bus conductor working with his uncle, the accused Bourne. On that fatal evening, while the bus was overloaded and speeding, both the minibus and car failed to stop at the junction, thus causing the disaster. The deceased lost his life when the motorcar and minibus collided, causing the bus to topple, crushing his head in the process.