Smithfield labourer remanded over fatal chopping of NA man
A Smithfield, New Amsterdam labourer was yesterday morning remanded to prison after he was charged with the fatal chopping of Kevin Junior Small.
Ryan Dhanpat, 34, of Lot 632 Smithfield, New Amsterdam appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Renita Singh where he was read the murder charge which stated that on Sunday March 12, 2023, at Budhan Housing Scheme, West Canje Berbice, he murdered Small.
The unrepresented Dhanpat was not required to enter a plea and was remanded to prison.
He will return to court on April, 28, for report.
Based on the police’s investigation, Small and two other males were attacked on Saturday at Caracas Dam allegedly by three males.
Stabroek News was told that Small, his friend Shamar Wilson, and two others arrived at the Caracas location first and then the three suspects turned up. An argument then ensued which quickly led to a fight.
According to the police, Small attempted to jump into the trench to escape but the main suspect grabbed him and started firing chops about his body. Wilson then attempted to rescue Small but the two other perpetrators began firing chops at him.
After the incident, Wilson was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
Small’s father, Kevin Small, 51, had explained that on Friday evening there was a fight on Patrick Dam where someone sustained chop injuries “and I hear his (Kevin) name was calling in the chop up.”
According to Small, on Saturday evening he was at a location in Angoy’s Avenue when three individuals armed with cutlasses arrived searching for “other
people who them say name calling (in the chop up) and when them see me them seh look he father deh here but nobody ain’t try doing me nothing.”
However, Small said, that early Sunday morning he woke up and called on his son who would usually sleep in the upper flat of their house but received no response, “so I left and I went out with my plant pots to sell and on my way coming back I receive the news that he get chop.”
Small said he immediately launched a search with some other persons and shortly after discovered his son’s body at a friend’s house located in Budhan Scheme. “When them man come down at the back there them man see he deh brace up pon the wall but he didn’t fully dead, he went bleeding and them man put he pon the sheet and then he pass away.”
A post-mortem examination carried out on Small’s body revealed that he died from shock and haemorrhage due to an incised wound to the forearm.