MURDER accused Neville Forde was on Tuesday remanded to prison by Justice Navindra Singh after a 12-member jury failed to arrive at a verdict, even after two hours of deliberation.

Forde was on trial before Justice Singh at the Demerara High Court for the murder of Sophia bread vendor, Andre Melroy Alexander in 2017, during a robbery.

The defendant was represented by Attorney Adrian Thompson, while the state’s case was presented by Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Sarah Martin and Teriq Mohamed.
Forde was remanded back to prison and will be retried at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

On Monday, June 17,2019, Forde’s co-accused Shaquelle Gran called ‘Soldier Man,’ was freed from the joint murder charge by Justice Singh, after his attorney, Nigel Hughes made a no-case submission.

The men were charged jointly for the indictment which read that on May 5, 2017, in the County of Demerara, they murdered Andre Melroy Alexander in the course or furtherance of a robbery.

Reports are that on the said date, Alexander was at his bread stand at Dennis Street, Sophia, when the two men rode up on a motorcycle. The pillion rider requested three loaves of bread and paid with a $5000 note. While Alexander was making change, the said pillion rider whipped out a gun and demanded cash.
When the man put up a fight, the robber discharged two rounds, one of which struck him (Alexander) in the stomach. The duo relieved Alexander of his cash and also escaped with the three loaves of bread. Alexander died that very night during surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.