THIRTY-ONE-year-old Shawn Harris was, on Monday, December16, 2019, found guilty by a 12-member mixed jury for the 2017 murder of Sunil Singh called ‘Grey’, who was killed in the vicinity of the Blue Martini nightclub in Kitty.

Harris called ‘Shawny’, formerly of Pike Street, Kitty; Georgetown, was tried by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence.
The indictment alleged that Harris, on February 5, 2017, at Owen Street, Kitty, murdered Singh.

Harris was represented by attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay while the state was represented by prosecutors Shawnette Austin and Sarah Martin.

McKay begged the court for leniency since his client had already spent almost three years on remand. However, prosecutor Austin informed the court that that would make Harris’ third conviction, since he had served time before for other criminal activities.
The matter was adjourned until January 16, 2020 for sentencing.

According to reports, patrol ranks went to the Blue Martini Nightclub and closed the club about 02:45hrs on February 5, 2017, after which they left.

However, shortly after, according to Charles Valenzuela, an employee of the nightspot, three men arrived and wanted to enter the club.

At that point in time, the young man informed them that the club was closed and that resulted in an argument, during which one of the men stabbed Valenzuela to his left arm.
Singh, who was present at the time, intervened and was trying to make peace, when the suspect dealt Singh a ‘lash’ to his head.

Singh then reportedly ran north into Railway Street, Kitty, and was pursued by his attacker, who caught up with him and stabbed him several times.

Both Singh and Valenzuela were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where Singh was pronounced dead on arrival and Valenzuela was treated and sent away.
In 2016, Harris was released from prison after serving a sentence for drug trafficking. He had also served time for the Bank of Baroda robbery committed at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, on January 22, 2016.