28-year-old mechanic who killed man on Durban Street charged with manslaughter

Twenty-eight-year-old Kester Lewis, the mechanic/ taxi driver who struck down a client just after an argument over the price for repairing a tyre, was on Thursday charged with manslaughter.

Dead is 29-year-old David Barclay of Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD). He was killed at about 02:00 h on Sunday at Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown.

Lewis appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was placed on $300,000 bail.

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Barclay approached Lewis on Sunday night in a bid to have a tyre on his vehicle repaired.

When the time came to make the payment, an argument ensued during which the suspect took a knife and slashed a tyre on Barclay’s car.

The mother of Barclay’s child was in the car and said he was short $700 to pay for fixing and he went to collect it from her; it was when he returned to Lewis’ car to make the payment that he was struck down.

However, Lewis told police that he was in the process of driving off when Barclay jumped onto his right side front door and held on to him, causing him to lose control and crashed into several vehicles which were parked on the street.

Barclay, who was lying motionless on the road, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident occurred moments after Barclay celebrated his birthday.

The matter was adjourned to January 25, 2021.