Fifty-three-year-old Daniel Melbourne was on Friday remanded to prison on six charges, including causing the death of Reonol Williams by dangerous driving when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on the East Coast of Demerara.
Melbourne, a musician of Middle Street, Ann’s Grove, ECD, pleaded not guilty to all six charges.
The other offences are: failure to report an accident, failure to render assistance after an accident, failure to produce the vehicle for examination, giving false information to the police and attempting to obstruct the course of justice.
The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that Melbourne reportedly disposed of the body after the accident and the fact that he repeatedly lied to the police.
The accused was represented by attorney Patrice Henry and he was remanded to prison until July 22, 2022.
Melbourne is the owner and driver of the car (PAB 2552) that struck down 50-year-old Williams on the Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara, on May 23 and dumped his body in a trench at Coldingen, ECD, after telling witnesses that he was taking him to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
As Williams’ family desperately searched for him for 16 days, Melbourne maintained his innocence and told the police that he was working in the interior at the time of the accident and that it was a distant cousin who was driving the car.
In the initial stages of the investigation, Melbourne was released on station bail; it was only after the family spoke out and the story gained media attention that the case was handed over to the Major Crimes Department and Melbourne was re-arrested on June 7.
Within hours of his arrest, he led detectives to where the body was dumped.
The autopsy revealed that Williams died as a result of multiple injuries due to a motor vehicle accident.
On May 22, Williams left his Enmore home to drop his younger sister in Georgetown.
He was accompanied by a friend, 22-year-old Davis Peters; while they were returning home just after midnight, Williams was struck down and as the driver promised to take him to the hospital, Davis ran home to Williams’ house to inform the family of what happened.
The suspect’s car was found without license plates at the back of Haslington on May 23 with traces of blood inside.
Williams was described as a hardworking and jovial person. He was the father of two girls and was employed as a labourer at Navin and Sons Construction.
