DPP asked to reconsider charge against Glaston Henry in Haresh Singh’s murder

By Kurt Campbell

Two days after he was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Haresh Singh, 10 persons have come forward to plead the innocence of Glaston Henry, claiming that he was at his family’s house at # 3 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), at the same time that Singh was killed.

But what ties him to the murder is the alleged written confession of Phillip Anderson, a family friend who lived at the same house; Anderson was reportedly there on September 9, 2020 – the day Singh’s battered body was discovered in the backlands.

Investigating ranks have come in for strong criticisms for reportedly ignoring Glaston’s alibi by attorney Nigel Hughes who has since written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, asking for a review of the charge in wake of signed statements from the 10 eyewitnesses who verified Glaston’s alibi.

It was the DPP’s Chambers that advised the police to charge Glaston, Anderson and two others for the crime, but according to Hughes, that advice was given in the absence of the signed statements of support for Glaston’s alibi.

He hopes that the DPP would give some credence to the statements of the 10 persons, including Glaston’s mother, and reconsider her decision before the case is taken to trial.

Glaston is the brother of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and the cousin of 19-year-old Joel Henry. Both teens were brutally maimed and murdered in September 2020; their bodies were discovered on September 06 by relatives in Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, after they were reported missing.

Some family members of Haresh Singh were arrested as part of investigations into the murder of the Henry teens but they were released as no evidence linked them to the crime. Singh’s death has always been regarded as retaliation for the murder of the Henry boys.

‘Confession is bland’

Meanwhile, Hughes, at a press conference held at his Cross Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown office Thursday, said the contents of Anderson’s confession were “bare and bland.”

Like family members, Hughes is also concerned that the police never held a confrontation between Glaston and Anderson.

Family members have also claimed that two members of the Guyana Police Force, one whom they identified as Detective Sarabo, was present at the house on the morning of September 9, 2020 and could also confirm that Glaston was there.

“Sarabo come forward and do the right thing, tell them you see me son when you went at the house the same morning,” Glaston’s mother pleaded.

Hughes said Singh was murdered between 9:30hrs and 10:00hrs, the same time that the police ranks visited the house and reportedly saw Glaston. The Henry family and friends who signed the statements, have rejected claims that Glaston could have left, committed the crime, and returned home.

Tiffany Campbell, one of the women who claimed she was present at the Henry’s house, told the news conference that she slept on the same bed with Anderson (her cousin) the night prior.

She said they woke up and never left the house, claiming that they stayed to look at the broadcast of the autopsies of the Henry cousins, which was being streamed live. Campbell now questions the motive for Anderson giving what she regards as a “false confession” to the police.

So what could be the purpose of the charges against Glaston?

His mother, Patricia Henry believes it may be to silence her. She said her push for justice for her son (Isaiah) have seen unending threats.

“If yall want me to be silent so my son and family could live in peace I’ll do that; I don’t know what I ever did to go through this. I already lose one son and now you come after the other,” she said.

Her husband, Gladston Henry, believes the intent could be to drive fear.

According to Hughes, the rush to arrest and charge Glaston came after his mother appeared on a programme aired on Facebook recently, and made strong statements about her disappointment and lack of confidence in the police investigation into the murders that occurred almost a year ago.

The family will now wait to hear from the DPP as to whether the charge against Glaston will be dropped. He is charged along with three others, who all appeared virtually before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court on June 29, 2021.

They were not required to enter a plea to the charge of murder and were remanded to prison until July 12, 2021; the case was transferred to the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.

Those charged are 29-year-old Philip Anderson called ‘Ratman’ of #3 Village, WCB; 27-year-old Joel Gittins called ‘Bolo’ of Jangotown, East Coast Demerara; 27-year-old Glaston Henry called ‘Gladwin Henry’ and ‘Soldierman’ of #3 Village, WCB and 21-year-old Charles Scott called ‘Bucko’ of Jarvis Street Rosignol, Berbice.