-family says he’s innocent, calls for further investigation
A 24-year-old labourer was, on Friday, remanded to prison for the gruesome murder of well-known entertainer and educator, Kirwyn Mars, called ‘Sir Mars’, who was stabbed eight times with a knife before being pinned between his car and a concrete fence at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
The accused, Brain Richards, of John Fernandes Squatting Area appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court.
He was not required to plead to the capital offence which alleged that, on May 7, 2023, he murdered Mars. He was represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva.
The father of three was remanded to prison until June 24, 2023. The preliminary inquiry is expected to commence on August 7, 2023.
Outside of the court, Richards’ wife and relatives, who requested that their identities be withheld, claimed that he is innocent and was at home when the crime was committed.
Police headquarters had reported that that murder occurred around 22:30 hours. However, Richards’ wife claimed that her husband was at home with her from around 21:00 hours on the same day.
According to her, her husband related that Mars had dropped him off at Industrial Site, an area that leads to their community.
“My husband is innocent. He was at home at the time when this scene happen,” the woman said as she explained that the family can provide a solid alibi for him.
The woman explained that her husband is crying for his children especially since he knows that he is being wrongfully charged. She added that she had inspected Richards’ skin and saw no marks of violence.
“…So, I said who you holding out for, and he said he not holding out for anybody. My husband is definitely innocent. They have to get the footage from where I’m living from John Fernandes because he said Sir Mars drop he home,” the woman told members of the media.
When probed about the relationship between Mars and her husband, the woman said that she does not know.
“I’m not eating, I’m sad. My children are crying asking for their dad. I got to keep saying that their dad gone out to come back. It’s sad on me… The lil one is taking it on,” the mother of three said.
Richards’ family is calling on the police to conduct further investigations and review the CCTV footage.
“No marks of violence, nothing…Everybody does feel it for their own but right is right and wrong is wrong, if he did it, he supposed to have marks of violence,” Richards’ sister added.
She said that the police are not providing answers to the family, and they are feeling ignored. Additionally, the family is alleging that Richards is illiterate and he was given a statement to sign by the police when he cannot read.
Richards was arrested on May 9, 2023, at his workplace in Georgetown, after CCTV footage from Green City Bar, where the duo was drinking before the incident, was reviewed.
According to a police report, Mars and Richards had a “misunderstanding” that escalated, and both parties armed themselves with knives, resulting in injuries to both of them.
Mars attempted to escape from the vehicle, but the suspect reversed Mars’car, hitting the victim and pinning him against a fence on the eastern side of the street, which runs north to south.
Richards then exited the vehicle and fled on foot in a southern direction. Following his arrest, he reportedly confessed to the crime, but claimed Mars’ death was accidental.
