Office of DPP to argue on reinstating murder charges in Georgetown killing

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution could later this week seek to justify its attempt to reinstate a murder charge in the case involving the killing of Sheldon Welch of Georgetown.

Counsel, Grant Connell confirmed yesterday, April 15, 2024, that he has received a file from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), with arguments for reinstatement of the charge to murder, the charge initially brought against the accused men.

Connell told SEARCHLIGHT that he is in possession of documents that were filed by Crown Counsel, Renee Simmons to argue on the “error” that the Crown made when it reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter; then sought to have the murder charge reinstated.

This matter involves the death of Sheldon Welch, whose body was also dismembered allegedly by Georgetown residents, Javid Da Silva and a then 15 year old boy on March 2, 2023.

Lisroy Bacchus was also charged alongside the two men for assisting them by transporting the body of Welch and burying him, with intent to impede apprehension.

The men appeared in court on April 9, 2024, where they pleaded not guilty that on March 2, 2024, at Georgetown, with malice aforethought they caused the death of Sheldon Welch. However, Senior Crown Counsel, Richie Maitland informed the court that he was instructed to reduce the murder charge for the two men to manslaughter to which they pleaded not guilty and each was granted bail.

However, Crown Counsel, Renee Simmons filed for a new indictment to have the charge upgraded to murder. This application was before the court when the matter was called before Justice Brian Cottle on April 11, 2024. Simmons confessed to an error made by the Crown.

She informed the court that the murder charge was not supposed to be reduced to manslaughter, and that she would like to reinstate the murder charge.

The judge then asked Simmons to justify her course of action using the law. However, Simmons was not able to do so at the time, and Cottle asked her to make her submissions in writing.

Connell told SEARCHLIGHT that he is waiting to hear the date when the matter will be back before the court, but it would “hopefully” be this week.

“We haven’t gotten a date yet…they filed the documents; I didn’t get a notice of hearing. Nobody told me anything yet, but I trust it will be by Wednesday this week that we’ll hear the arguments.”