GEORGETOWN – Police Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega walked out of the High Court a free man on Thursday after Justice Gino Persaud upheld a no-case submission made by his attorney, George Thomas, effectively dismissing the murder charge against him.
De Nobrega had been on trial for the June 10, 2022 shooting death of 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus at Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD), a case that sparked widespread public outrage and protests when it first came to light. He had pleaded not guilty to the capital offence of murder.
The prosecution alleged that Bacchus, a young father of one, was shot and killed during a police operation in Haslington, but during the trial, De Nobrega’s attorney argued that the evidence presented by the State failed to establish the essential elements of the charge.
Justice Persaud agreed, ruling that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction, and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. As the decision was announced, De Nobrega appeared visibly relieved.
The ruling immediately drew attention across social media, where the case has long been viewed as a test of accountability within the Guyana Police Force. The fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus had ignited days of unrest in several communities, with protesters calling for justice and greater transparency in police-involved killings.
With Thursday’s ruling, the case has reached a dramatic turning point, but questions are expected to linger over the circumstances that led to Bacchus’s death and what the decision means for public confidence in the justice system.This is a developing story.
