Ex –cop acquitted of Murder charge

Georgetown: An ex –cop, Ruel Brandon was acquitted of murder at the Georgetown High Court Wednesday. He was freed of murder after the Court upheld a no- case submission presented on his behalf. Brandon was on trial for the murder of Davonan Sookram, a seaman, of Bushy Park Parika, East Bank Essequibo. The murder occurred between July 27 and July 31, 2013. Reports indicated that Sookram was murdered execution-style in retaliation for a deal gone sour. His partially decomposed body was found with two bullet wounds to the head. Reports further indicated that Sookram who was nicknamed ‘Tall Man’ had left his home on July 27, 2013, in the company of a friend but he never returned. His body was discovered, days later in the murky waters at Parika Backdam. Investigations mounted by the Serious Crime Investigations Unit (SCIU) of the Guyana Police Force led to the arrest of Brandon. He was on trial for murder before Justice Nareshwar Harnanan and a mixed 12- member jury. Yesterday, the Court upheld a no-case submission presented by Brandon’s attorney, Nigel Hughes. The State was represented by a team of Prosecutor which included Siand Dhurjon, Lisa Cave and Shawnette Austin. The ruling was made following a Voir Dire (trial within a trial) to admissibility of certain statements related to the trial. The Court would have conducted a review of submissions made by both the Defence and the Prosecution in the matter before making the determination to free Brandon of the murder charge. The ex -cop has been incarcerated since 2013 after he was arrested for the murder.