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One walks free, the other jailed for life
Paul Rodney murder…
(Court Journal)
By Renay Sambach
Kaieteur News – On November 21, 2016, 29-year-old Paul Rodney of Lot 530 West Ruimveldt resident was riddled with bullets outside the East Ruimveldt Secondary School, reportedly during an argument.
Killed, Paul Rodney
On that day, a dance was held at the school and an argument had ensued between Rodney and his killer. Rodney left the dance but he was followed by his killer and a friend.
Rodney was shot several times and he was found lying motionless in a pool of blood. While his killer escaped, he was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Two men were jointly charged with murder. Now, six years after he was killed, one man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the unlawful killing of Rodney, while another walked free, due to a lack of evidence.
Colvin Johnson, called “Gun Nutt” of East Ruimveldt, was acquitted of the crime while 29-year-old Joshua Meredith was jailed.
COLVIN JOHNSON
Acquitted, Colvin Johnson
On Monday May 8, “Gun Nutt” was acquitted by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court. He was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Leslie Sobers.
He had denied the charge which stated that on November 21, 2016, at Avocado Square, East Ruimveldt he murdered Rodney.
According to Johnson’s lawyer, his client had maintained his innocence from the inception. Sobers said that at the end of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the magistracy level, a no-case submission was entered on behalf of Johnson but was overruled and Johnson was committed to stand trial before a judge and jury at the high court.
On Monday, Justice Kissoon ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Johnson. It was stated too that there was no evidence that Johnson was involved in the shooting. The eye-witness of the actual killing of Rodney testified that Johnson was nowhere there. Notably, another witness for the prosecution testified that he saw Johnson doing something that appeared to be shooting, but he placed Johnson far away from where Rodney was killed and within a different time frame. As a result of the evidence that was presented to the court, Johnson is now a free man.
JOSHUA MEREDITH
Sentenced, Joshua Meredith
When Meredith was arraigned for the capital offence he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
On May 3, 2023, Joshua Meredith received the life sentence. He was sentenced by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court.
Before Meredith was sentenced, a probation report on his behalf was read to the court. The court heard that in December 2020, Meredith was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the ‘Wings and Things’ killing.
Meredith was sentenced for the unlawful killing of Gregory Garraway, who was gunned down on October 2, 2016 at the bar located on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.
According to the probation report, Meredith came from a single-parent home and was labeled as a ‘delinquent’ from an early age. Before he turned 16, Meredith was before the court for robbery under arms, but due to his age, he was placed on a two-year bond for the offence. The report also detailed what people from Meredith’s former neighbourhood had to say about him. He was labeled as a criminal and others stated that since he has been locked up, the area has been peaceful. Similarly, prison officials described Meredith as disrespectful and disorderly and even shared that he had to be placed in solitary confinement.
Attorney-at-Law Adrian Thompson who represented Meredith in a plea of mitigation asked the court to be lenient with his clients given his upbringings and added that he was influenced by his neighbourhood.
A victim impact statement from Rodney’s uncle was also read to the court. It was stated that Rodney was the sole breadwinner for his family and his elderly father – the court heard too that Rodney’s father passed away after mourning the death of his son. In handing down her ruling, Justice Barlow sentenced Meredith to life imprisonment.
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