By Lazeena Yearwood
The wife and other relatives of Brian Richard, the main suspect in the murder of Kirwyn Mars, known as ‘Sir Mars’, say he is innocent of the crime.
Outside of the Diamond/Grove Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning after Richard was remanded to prison, the wife, sister and another close relative, spoke with the News Room but did not want their identities revealed.
They say Richard has no marks of violence on his body, which they believe contradicts information that both Mars and the accused were involved in a scuffle prior to the murder.
According to Richard’s wife, her husband told her that Mars dropped him home at Industrial Site, John Fernandes, West Ruimveldt and she insisted that he was at home with her at around 21:00 hrs on May 7; Police Headquarters said that the murder occurred at around 22:30 hrs at Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara on May 7.
“I carry in the clothes to him this morning and he started crying. He asked ‘This is for what?’ And I said, you have to go to court, then he start asking for his children and said ‘B I didn’t do anything’.
“I said raise up your jersey and let me see and he raise up his jersey and I didn’t see any marks on his skin, so I said who you holding out for and he said he not holding out for anybody. My husband is definitely innocent,” the distraught wife said.
The couple share three young children together and Richard was a labourer at a paint company.
Recounting the night that Mars was murdered, the woman said after her husband arrived home, several family members called to speak with him. She added that her phone and his phone are currently lodged with the Police.
The wife said she doesn’t know much about how her husband and Mars know each other but she alleged that another man was with them when they visited the Green City Bar located at the corners of D’Urban Street and Vlissengen Road hours before Mars was killed.
Nevertheless, the wife and other relatives are calling on the Police to conduct further investigations into the matter, noting that the surveillance camera from John Fernandes would show when her husband was dropped home.
“He [Richard] says Sir Mars drop him home so they have to get the footage from John Fernandes.”
The wife also noted that her husband’s clothing from the night, including his white sneakers, did not have any blood.
According to the wife, the entire ordeal has taken a toll on her health and that of her children.
“I am not eating, I am sad, my children are crying and asking for their dad and I have to keep telling them that their dad gone out to come back. It’s sad on me.”
Meanwhile, in rejecting Police’s version that Richard confessed to the crime, his sister claims that he doesn’t know how to read and so, it is impossible for him to knowingly sign any confession statement.
“I see me brother he deh normal. 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,” Richard’s sister said.
Mars, a popular comedian and teacher, was stabbed eight times about his body, and the cause of death is crush injuries to the chest compounded by “multiple cutaneous wounds.”
The Police, in its official report, revealed that two knives were recovered at the scene. Richard was arrested at his workplace on Tuesday and subsequently, he was charged with the murder and remanded until June 23.
It is alleged that Mars and the suspect had a “misunderstanding” that escalated inside Mars’ vehicle. As a result, both parties armed themselves with knives and stabbed each other.
Mars exited the vehicle in an attempt to escape but the suspect allegedly reversed the vehicle and pinned him to the fence. The suspect then exited the vehicle and escaped in a southern direction on foot.
In addition, Police Headquarters released photographs of Sir Mars and Richard arriving and leaving the Green City Bar at about 17:38 hrs.
