TWO MEN were on Wednesday jointly charged for the murder of Simone Hackett after an application by Police Corporal David Goodridge requested that the men be tried together.Initially, Hackett’s child father, Cleavaughn Hamilton, called “Quarters” was charged in April for the woman’s murder and a few days later Ranachal Singh was apprehended by the police over the same murder.

Sparendaam Magistrate, Zameena Ally-Seepaul ruled in favour of the prosecution and reread the murder charge to join the two defendants for the offence and further remanded them until June 20.

The men were not required to plea to the capital offence, which alleged between April 16 and 19, at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, they killed Simone Hackett of ‘C’ Field Sophia.

According to police reports, during the evening of April 16, Singh, along with Hamilton, picked up Hackett from UG Access Road. The court heard that Hackett was taken further down the said road and killed.

Singh knew the man had killed Hackett, but still transported him to Mahdia, after the woman’s body was dumped. The taxi driver was detained after his bloodstained vehicle was found last Friday in Mahdia. The accused had reportedly instructed his girlfriend to wash his car.

The mother of one was reported missing by relatives on April 17, after she had not returned the previous night from going to collect a package allegedly sent from Mahdia by Hamilton.

Investigators had questioned a bus driver and conductor who had transported Hamilton to the City a day before Hackett went missing.

The report of the post-mortem performed on Hackett indicated that she died as a result of incised wounds to the neck. Her body was discovered by two schoolboys on their way to school, and positively identified by relatives.