…says he regrets Bently’s loss of life but pleased Court upheld his innocence
By Lisa Hamilton
Former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Rear Admiral (ret’d) Gary Best, in an interview with the Village Voice News on Thursday, said that he is regretful of the loss of life of cyclist Jude Bentley but is pleased that the Court cleared him of being at fault in the early 2020 accident.
On Thursday, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Best was freed by Magistrate Rondell Weaver of the charges laid against him in February 2020. The charges alleged that on February 8, 2020, at Clive Lloyd Drive, Greater Georgetown, he drove motor vehicle PRR 8182 in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of Bentley.
Best was not required to plead to the charge and received bail at the sum of $500,000. However, his attorney, Nigel Hughes, later submitted a no-case submission to Magistrate Weaver who, on Thursday, upheld the no-case submission on the basis that there was not enough evidence for the charges laid.
“I am happy with the verdict of the Court. It is consistent with what I said to the police at the time that it occurred. Naturally, I regret the loss of life of Mr. Jude Bentley which was an accident for which I’m not at fault…I regret the loss of his life but the Court bore out the events as I described it to the police at the time and that came out in Court,” Best said.
The Magistrate’s judgement was a lengthy one lasting over one hour and explaining, in detail, why the charges could not stand against Best. Other information about the case reaching the Village Voice News point to a breathalyzer used on Best following the accident which was out-of-calibration for over a year and lack of evidence from the prosecution that Best drove dangerously.
Traumatic experience
Already, some members of the public have expressed disappointment that the form of justice they hoped for was not served. However, Best said that the death of Bentley and the events which followed have been traumatic for they cyclist’s family as well as his.
“I really hope and pray that both families can move on right now because it has been traumatic for my family and it has been traumatic for his family. So, I just hope that the families can move on from this, being able to move on having regard for the difficulties surrounding it. It was an accident,” he said.
