High Court marshal who served writ on Janet Jagan has died

Jul 11, 2013 News

Walter Herbert Dainty, the court marshal who served a High Court writ on President Janet Jagan, seeking to halt her swearing in as President of Guyana in 1997, has died.
Relatives said that Mr. Dainty passed away at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation last Sunday after a brief illness. He was 86.
His wife, Geraldine, told Kaieteur News that Mr. Dainty was a former sanitary inspector at Suddie, Essequibo, before serving as a Court Marshal, also at Suddie.
But the outspoken Mr. Dainty became a household figure in 1997 when he entered State House to serve a High Court order on Mrs. Janet Jagan to stop her being sworn in as President.
According to his grand-daughter, Sharon Dainty, Mr. Dainty would later tell her that he had sent three of his junior staffers to serve the writ on Mrs. Jagan, but all of them refused. Her grandfather had then decided that he would serve the writ himself.
He did serve the writ, only to see a furious Mrs. Jagan toss it aside.
“He said that he had to push his way through because they were trying to prevent him from getting in,” his wife, Mrs. Geraldine Dainty said. “He was never fearful; whatever summons he had to serve he was never fearful.”
According to Mrs. Dainty, her spouse served for some 20 years as a court marshal. After retiring, he was recalled to duty and served for a few more years before calling it a day. However, he would willingly give legal advice to members of the public.
The Dainty household suffered another tragedy last month, when Mr. Dainty’s granddaughter, 28-year-old Luan Rodney, died at the GPHC while delivering her baby daughter. The baby also died.
“One month and three days after, he’s gone,” Mrs. Dainty said. “Sixty-four years of marriage.”
The couple had 12 children, eight of whom are still alive.
The late Mr. Walter Herbert Dainty is to be laid to rest next Wednesday at Essequibo.