A POLICE constable was yesterday refused bail when he appeared before a magistrate charged in the killing of a young mother who left home last week to celebrate her 23rd birthday.

Junior McKenzie, 19, of 173 Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, has been charged with manslaughter and was remanded to prison pending the commencement of the preliminary inquiry into the case on November 6.

He appeared before Magistrate Maxwell Edwards at the Cove and John, East Coast Demerara court.

The young mother of two, Sonia Natasha Jerrick, also called 'Chooks' of 17 Bee Hive, also on the East Coast Demerara, was found dead last week Tuesday morning on the dry dirt road leading to her home.

A post mortem examination showed that she died from a gunshot wound, Police reported last week.

Several ranks of the Clonbrook Police Station were questioned in the investigation into her death.

Jerrick left home Monday evening, telling her mother, Patsy Campbell, that she was going out. Campbell felt Jerrick was going out to celebrate her 23rd birthday.

She was reportedly an acquaintance of members of the Police outpost at Clonbrook and Police investigators were told one or more of them were drinking with Jerrick Monday night.

Police in the area reportedly received a call around 06:00 hrs last week Tuesday that a body had been found.

It was later identified as Jerrick's and Police said a wound was evident by her nostrils.

Campbell, 44, recalled that Jerrick went to church, a stone's throw from their residence and upon returning home said that she was "going out".

She said Monday was her daughter's birthday and since she had spent the day at home without celebrating, she thought the young woman was going out to "enjoy herself".

She said she did not see her daughter for the remainder of that night and knew nothing of her whereabouts until she received the horrifying news around 05:00 hrs on Tuesday.

Jerrick lived with her reputed husband, Elroy Johnson and their two children, Elroy, five, and Luxroy, four, both boys pupils of the Clonbrook Nursery School.

Jerrick was the eldest of five children and had three brothers and a sister, 10.