Three charged for miner’s death

Three persons, who allegedly viciously beat 54-year-old miner Alan Welch to death, were yesterday not required to plead to the indictable charge of murder when they appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
The men, Mitchell Huntley, 40, of Lot 76 Belfield, East Coast Demerara; Shelton Forde, 18, of lot 74 Sarah Lodge Housing Scheme; and Ronald Forde, 19, of  84 Sarah Lodge Housing Scheme, were accused of murdering Alan Welch on July 6, at 14 Miles Issano. Another suspect who was identified as Gavin Jones was also charged with the murder but was not in court yesterday.
The trio was all unrepresented yesterday. Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford made an application for the accused to be remanded and for the matter to be transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
That application was granted by the Magistrate and the three men are expected to make another court appearance on July 21, next, at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
According to reports, Welch, of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, was bludgeoned to death by fellow miners using tree limbs and other pieces of wood after they accused him of stealing raw gold.
However, relatives of the dead man are disputing the allegation, claiming that it might have been Welch who blew the whistle on the stealing of raw gold at the camp, which is owned by his cousin.