– for allegedly shooting neighbour to death

THE proprietor of the Tourist Villa Hotel and Bar at Fifth Avenue Subryanville, Georgetown was on Monday charged for the murder of his neighbour, Jason De Florimonte.

The accused, Erwin Bacchus, 45, was initially charged with manslaughter, but on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), he is now being charged with murder.

Bacchus was placed before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman and was not required to plea to the capital offence, which alleges that on August 4, 2018 at Subryanville, he murdered De Florimonte, 30.

He was represented by attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Glenn Hanoman and remanded to prison until October 3 for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI).

According to reports, on the day in question at about 01:30 hrs, De Florimonte had a misunderstanding with his girlfriend in front of the hotel when Bacchus’s handyman, who was standing at the hotel’s gate, intervened.

In the ensuing exchange between the two me, the handyman reportedly ran into the hotel with De Florimonte in hot pursuit, whereupon Bacchus, a licensed firearm holder who was on the premises at the time, shot him dead.