Fabian Smith, the 34-year-old man who is accused of fatally stabbing a 55-year-old shopkeeper during an argument, was on Monday slapped with a manslaughter charge.
Smith, also known as ‘sawman’, was hauled before Crystal Lambert in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
The 34-year-old man is accused of killing Andrew Harris, 55, called ‘Shortman’ of Surinamo Landing, Mazaruni River, between July 31, 2023, and August 1, 2023, at ‘Mer Meria’ Backdam, Middle Mazaruni River.
He was remanded to prison and will make another court appearance on August 25.
The Police had said that Harris and Smith had been working together on a newly constructed shop owned by a 52-year-old businesswoman of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD), for the past 10 days.
According to the businesswoman, at about 10:00h on Emancipation Day, she received a phone call from the accused, who told her he had found Harris dead at the shop.
The matter was reported to the Police, who visited the area where they found the body of Harris in a slouched position on a bench, with what appeared to be blood on his jersey and on the ground where he sat.
Detectives examined Harris’ body and observed a stab wound, about three inches in width, to his upper left chest.
Smith was subsequently arrested at a nearby camp and taken into custody. In a video interview, Police said Smith confessed to stabbing Harris during an argument.
