Morvant man in court charged with murder of McDonald's manager

A MORVANT man appeared before Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle charged with last month’s murder of McDonald’s Restaurant manager, Ashmeed Mohammed.

Israel Jabarry Durant, also called Barry and WASA, was charged with Mohammed’s murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition and robbing Tenisha George of a $900 mobile phone on May 20.

All the charges were laid indictably so Durant, 21, was not called on to enter a plea.

He had no complaints but his attorney asked that the preliminary inquiry be moved expeditiously.

Durant agreed to return to court on August 8, as opposed to the regular 28 days.

The chief magistrate also urged court prosecutor Sgt Rawle Ramharrack to ensure that Cpl Stanley Romeo, who laid the charges, get his file together so that it can be sent to the Office of the Director of Prosecutions for a prosecutor to be appointed before the next adjourned date. She also asked that Romeo file a summary of evidence early.

Durant is a WASA attendant of Chaconia Avenue, Coconut Drive, Morvant.

Mohammed, 38, of Vega de Oropouche, Sangre Grande, was at the McDonald’s Restaurant, at Cipriani Boulevard, Newtown, Port of Spain, when he was accosted by three armed men while closing the branch.

Police said he was taken back into the restaurant where he was beaten and shot dead.

The suspects escaped in a white Nissan Tiida car.

Durant was arrested at his workplace in St. Helena, last Thursday.

Investigations were supervised by acting ASP Suzette Martin, of Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region 1.