YANNIC Gilpin was remanded to prison on Tuesday for the gruesome murder of his 89-year-old grandmother, whose partly decomposed body was found in a pile of garbage near her Russel Street, Charlestown, Georgetown home.

Gilpin, a 27-year-old handyman who lived with the victim, appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

He was not required to plead to the capital offence which alleged that, between March 18 and March 19, 2023, at Russel Street, he murdered Patricia Bovell.

Gilpin was remanded to prison until April 11.

According to reports, the elderly woman was last seen alive on March 18. The next day, her niece visited the home and did not see her. Gilpin reportedly told the woman that he took Bovell to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) because she was feeling unwell.

Bovell’s niece later made checks at GPHC, but came up empty-handed.

As a result, she made a missing person report at Ruimveldt Police Station which resulted in Gilpin being arrested by investigators.

Gilpin was interviewed and repeated the story he had told the victim’s niece. However, this was proven to be a lie since investigators were able to confirm that the woman was never taken to the GPHC.

The police returned to Russel Street and canvassed the area for evidence. There, they received information from neighbours that they heard screams of “murder” coming from the elderly woman’s residence on March 19.

Neighbours said the cries went on for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then there was silence.

The police put this information to Gilpin but he maintained his story.

However, on March 22, police received reports of a stench coming from the alleyway near Bovell’s home. Ranks visited the location and found Bovell’s lifeless body in a partially decomposed state, wrapped in a blue and white sheet, in a pile of garbage. The body was naked.

Gilpin, under caution, reportedly admitted that, on March 18, his grandmother was naked and was sitting on the floor, and as he was about to pass her, his left foot accidentally collided with her head. He claimed that she fell on a rug and hit her head.