City Constable who shot and killed vendor in 2018 to stand trial 

A 52-year-old Lance Corporal attached to the City Constabulary was on Monday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the fatal shooting of vendor in 2018.

Gregory Bascom of Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown was before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the offence of manslaughter.

He was not required to plea to the charge which read that on January 14, 2018, at Regent Road, Bourda, he unlawfully killed 34-year-old Marlon Fredericks. He was out on $800,000 bail.

On Monday, the Magistrate ruled that a based on the evidence, a sufficient case was made out against Bascom for him to stand trial at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

On January 13, 2018, Fredericks, of Tiger Bay, Georgetown, was apprehended by officers from the City Constabulary for a number of simple larceny transgressions during which he was severely beaten and assaulted.

Fredericks was kept in custody at the Bourda City Constabulary Outpost and it is alleged that on January 14, he attempted to flee custody when he was shot. Fredericks was unarmed.

His mother, Claudette Fredericks, had gone to visit him when she witnessed the shooting. A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was due to complications to his lower back as a result of a gunshot wound.

Fredericks was the only son of Claudette Fredericks, who is the host and producer of popular morning programme First Look.