A 38-year-old security guard has been charged with discharging a loaded firearm with intent after he allegedly shot a man outside a store.Ryan Weekes of Lot 150 6th Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.
He is accused of discharging a loaded firearm at Jason Hardy on June 16, 2024, at Lot 16 D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown, with the intent to maim, disable, or cause grievous bodily harm.Weeks was represented by attorney Everton Singh-Lammy.
The case has been adjourned, with further proceedings scheduled for February 5, 2025.According to Singh-Lammy, the shooting occurred while Weekes was on duty as a security guard at a store owned by Chinese nationals.
Around 5:00 a.m. on the day of the incident, the lawyer said Weekes witnessed an attempted robbery by Hardy, who tried to steal tiles from the store. He stated that his client attempted to retrieve the items but then stepped back and fired shots in Hardy’s direction.
The attorney criticised the lengthy delay in filing charges against his client, emphasising that he had no prior criminal record and had already been on bail throughout that period.
The prosecution opposed bail, asserting that Hardy posed no immediate threat to Weeks at the time of the shooting. CCTV footage indicated that Weekes was not in imminent danger when he discharged his firearm, the prosecutor submitted. The prosecutor claimed Hardy had been collecting discarded tiles across from the store and was unarmed.
Furthermore, the prosecution argued that the shooting left Hardy with life-threatening injuries and pointed out that there was an interaction between Weekes and Hardy before the shot was fired, questioning whether the use of force was justified.
After reviewing the submissions from both the prosecution and defence, Magistrate Mc Gusty granted bail to Weekes of $150,000. As part of the bail conditions, Weekes must report to the East La Penitence Police Station.
