Another
suspect charged for Cool Square killing
Another person was yesterday charged in
connection with the robbery and murder of
Canada-based Guyanese, Rawle Harding, who was
killed while he sat with friends at Cool Square
almost two weeks ago.
Dwaine Critchlow, 27, of Moffat Street, Vigilance,
East Coast Demerara, was not required to plead to
the indictable offence of murder, when the charge
was read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa
Robertson.
It was alleged that Critchlow, on March 3, at
Georgetown, killed Rawle Harding. He was
unrepresented by lawyer yesterday.
When asked by the magistrate if he had anything to
say, Critchlow said that the police were framing
him.
“From the 25 February I was at Bartica, because
I does do mining there. They (police) giving me
things I ain’t know nothing about,” Critchlow
told the magistrate.
The man further said in open court that various
persons at Bartica gave the police statements
supporting his story, but the police appear to
refuse to verify the statements. Critchlow said
that he was placed on an identification parade and
only one of the three witnesses picked him out.
“Why me? Why me, meh worship? Is only because I
ain’t got money, because de other boy who dey
hold pay dem police and he ain’t get picked
out,” Critchlow said.
He further alleged that when he was arrested he
had over $70,000 in cash and a gold chain weighing
more than 20 pennyweights when the police arrested
him.
Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford said that the
file would be sent to the Director of Public
Prosecutions for further advice.
The matter was adjourned to March 31; it was also
transferred to Court Two for trial.
On Wednesday last, 19-year-old Junior Bourne was
charged and remanded in connection with the
murder.
Bourne, who was shaking uncontrollably, is also
accused of killing Rawle Harding on March 3. His
mother who was present in court screamed out in
the courtroom as the charge was read to her son.
Bourne too accused the police of framing him.
Bourne kept shouting “that the police are always
picking up people’s children and wrongfully
putting them in prison”. Bourne and Critchlow,
according to the police, are the two persons that
stormed into the bar and killed Harding.
The two men were detained by the police after they
viewed images of the gunmen recorded on
surveillance cameras at the popular West Ruimveldt
nightspot.
Harding, his cousin and a friend were sitting at
the bar having a drink when the two gunmen entered
through the southern gate.
The surveillance tapes show that the bandits
ordered two bottles of Mackeson stout and then sat
drinking next to Harding and his friends.
One of the bandits looked across at Harding and
noticed his jewellery and began whispering to his
accomplice.
After getting up to ensure that the way was clear,
the bandits drew their firearms and attacked
Harding.
One of them then grabbed Harding, who had a broken
leg, and it was during a scuffle that the
Canada-based Guyanese was shot.
The bandits then stripped him of his jewellery,
wallet and a cell phone.
After this, the bandits turned their attention to
Harding’s cousin who had remained in the bar,
and ordered him at gunpoint to take off his ring.
Not satisfied, one of the gunmen then jumped over
the counter and grabbed money and phone cards from
the cash register. Kaieteur News understands that
two more charges are expected to be laid against
Critchlow.
The charges stem from robbery under arms to
abduction and aggravated assault. According to
police sources, Critchlow is accused of holding a
woman hostage in her Canje Berbice home. He
managed to elude the police but he kept
telephoning the woman, even to the point of
informing her that he had eluded the cordon and
was now in the city.