By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Grief and outrage filled the air outside the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday as Jennifer Arjun, the mother of 15-year-old Navindra Mahes, broke down in tears after learning that a woman police corporal charged with causing her son’s death was granted bail.
The accused, 35-year-old Police Corporal Yonelle Cumberbatch of East Ville Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs, charged with causing death by dangerous driving. She was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that on October 30, 2025, at Success, East Coast Demerara, she dangerously drove motorcar PAB 214, resulting in the death of Mahes, a student of Annandale Secondary School.
Magistrate Gibbs granted bail of $500,000, and Cumberbatch is scheduled to return to court on January 6, 2026, for the disclosure of statements.
However, the court’s decision sparked anguish and disbelief among the victim’s family, particularly Mahes’s grieving mother, who cried uncontrollably while speaking with reporters outside the courthouse.
“They grant her bail for $500,000 and I laid my son to rest on Sunday. She took my son’s life away — this is the justice they gave,” Arjun lamented.
“I lost my son, and a demon is walking,” she cried through tears.
Adding to the family’s frustration, members of the media were barred from entering the courtroom, fueling further public concern about transparency in the proceedings.
Arjun expressed disbelief that the court “saw with” the accused while she continues to suffer unimaginable loss.
“The Magistrate see with her — who gon’ see with me? I lost my son. She will go home and see her son, but I cannot go home and see mine. How is that fair?” she questioned.
According to police reports and video evidence, Cumberbatch’s vehicle was traveling west along the Success Public Road when Mahes, standing on the median, attempted to cross using the pedestrian crossing. The car reportedly struck him with its left front side, sending him airborne before he crashed onto the roadway.
Public-spirited citizens rushed the teen to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
Witnesses have since alleged that the policewoman did not stop or render assistance after the collision.
As the case unfolds, the tragedy has reignited national calls for stricter enforcement of road safety laws and accountability for reckless driving, especially by those entrusted with upholding the law.
