…for killing Victoria brothers

By Shauna Jemmott
ALMOST ten years and three trials into the 2006 murder of Victoria brothers Ray Walcott, called ‘Sugar’, and Carl Andrews, called ‘Alo’, a family is thankful for closure on the matter after Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry passed down two sentences of death to Cyon Collier, called ‘Picture Boy’, who yesterday was found guilty of both murders.Walcott and Andrews were gunned down by Collier at Victoria Four Corner, East Coast Demerara, on September 23, 2006. Walcott’s entire forehead was torn away, while Andrews was shot at least three times, and died as a result of perforation of the lungs caused by a single gunshot wound.
Reports indicate that both siblings died as a result of multiple gunshot injuries.

Collier was sentenced to death by Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, after a 12-member jury found him guilty of the murders of Walcott and Andrews.
Reports are that Collier rode up on a motorcycle while a group of men were playing a friendly game of dominoes at Victoria Four Corner, East Coast Demerara, and after a brief interaction, gunned down the two brothers execution-style.

After the jury announced that Collier had been found guilty on both counts of murder, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, in passing down both death sentences, told the convicted murderer that he was sentenced to death and would “be taken to a lawful place of execution and there be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

Earlier, after the verdict was read and Collier was asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “Maam, I don’t know how they arrived at that verdict. Since the jury has found me guilty of the charge, I stand here asking for the mercy of the court. I ask Your Honour to be very lenient with me. I also wanna say sorry to the relatives of the deceased, and I beg their forgiveness.”

As the court officers led Collier out of the courtroom, he remained calm but displayed a sad countenance. He showed his relatives the ‘thumbs-up’, and they, too, exited the courtroom quickly. Mother of the dead brothers, Jeune Andrews, stood in the courtroom and lifted both hands on high with her eyes closed as Collier left the court.

This trial, which began on June 7, saw 10 witnesses being called by the prosecution, while the defence, represented by Attorney-at-Law Lindon Amsterdam, called five witnesses.

Collier, who had fled the murder scene, was discovered asleep in an abandoned house at Lot 23 Bachelor’s Adventure, ECD at 05:00hrs by a party of police officers and soldiers 12 days after the fatal shooting. He had in his possession a number of guns and ammunition, including an AK-47 assault rifle. Collier faced trial twice before for the same murders, but the other two trials ended in ‘hung’ juries before different judges.

On Tuesday, the State closed its case after ten of its intended eleven witnesses had testified. Collier was called on to lead his defence, and gave an unsworn statement from the dock, wherein he chronicled his movements leading up to the shooting on September 23, 2006 and thereafter.

He told the court that he was neither present at the scene of the shooting nor was he around that area, even though witnesses had placed him at the scene before and after the fatal shooting.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle after the verdicts were delivered, father of the two deceased men, Godfrey Andrews, gave all credit to God for the way the case had ended.

“Everything that takes place in this court is God work. He did it the right time and the right place. He knows all things. You could get away from man, but you cannot get away from God. This has been going on all the time. I’m happy to hear for what God has done, and I give Him all the praise, all the honour! All! I give Him my life.”

Andrews said of the convict: “He been bribing, bribing, bribing; but then you know God say it’s the end and it got to be the end is today. I’m happy for the prosecutor that led the case. I’m happy for the judge, and also God will richly bless those twelve learned men who sitting there and give that decision, because it is the fact that he murdered these two guys; no doubt about it.”

Mrs Jeune Andrews said, “With God all things are possible…I have faith in the God I serve. The pain is still there because I lost two sons and it’s a long time. I never fight anybody, (but) I just take it to the Lord in prayer… and I thank Him.”

Two of the Andrews’ siblings also travelled into Guyana last night to be present at the end of the trial. The case was prosecuted by Attorneys Narissa Leander and Tuanna Hardy.