CARLISA Matthews, 20, was shot and killed in 2014 by Jermaine Maynard, 42, and became the second girlfriend to be murdered by the same killer.On the first occasion, he had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, and was jailed for 14 years; but at this current trial, he refused the DPP’s offer of manslaughter, and the mixed jury did the rest by returning a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder, after receiving evidence which was described by the presiding judge as “overwhelming”.

Justice Navindra Singh, who later imposed an 88-year prison sentence on the convicted man, was asked by prosecutor Michael Shahoud (member of the prosecuting team) to ensure that the prisoner got the same type of sympathy that his girlfriend Carlisa Matthews had received.

The judge did not reply to Shahoud, but the registrar enquired from the prisoner whether he had anything to say why the Court should not proceed to pass sentence against him according to law. The prisoner remained unremorseful, but declared that he was sorry for the deceased’s relatives, many of whom were in court.

Pointing out that the evidence against the prisoner was overwhelming, the judge went on to pass sentence.
Witnesses had told the court and the mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes how Jermaine Maynard shot girlfriend Carlisa to death on Old Year’s Night 2013. The killing occurred outside KFC at Stabroek Market. Shortly before, Maynard had asked the girl a question, and she had replied that she did not have time.

State Counsel Siand Dhurjon, a member of the prosecution team, had delivered the opening address to the jury.
Other members of the prosecution were
Narissa Leander and Michael Shahoud.

On that Old Year’s Night, at about 21:00 hrs, Carlisa, her mother, her mother’s fiancé and others were standing outside KFC on Croal Street when Maynard came up and spoke to Carlisa a short distance away from everyone else.

According to Dhurjon, nobody could hear what they were saying, but they were seen speaking for a few minutes.
Carlisa started to move away, but Maynard pointed a gun to her head and shot her.

She fell down, and Jermaine Maynard stood over Carlisa and pointed the gun at her, but though it clicked three times it did not fire.

Maynard walked away, and on his way to Regent Street, he encountered a Rastaman. He drew his gun and demanded the Rastaman’s bicycle, and he rode away on it. Carlisa was taken to the hospital, where she died in the early hours of the morning of January 1, 2014.

By George Barclay

(George Barclay @ Guyana Chronicle. com)