‘Jackie Chan’ gets 12 years for Kwakwani Christmas Day killing
Clinton Hart aka 'Jackie Chan'
Clinton Hart aka 'Jackie Chan'

JUSTICE James Bovell-Drakes has imposed a 12-year prison sentence on Clinton Hart called ‘Jackie Chan’for killing a former policeman, Marlon Sam,back on Christmas Day, 2013.
Hart was indicted with murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which was accepted by State Prosecutor, Orinthea Schmidt. Hart was represented by Attorney at law Mootee Singh. It was during the night of Christmas 2013, that the men, and their respective friends, were in separate groups imbibing at the One Foot Disco, Kwakwani, Berbice River. Hart at the time of the incident lived at Jones Town,a village within the Berbice River.
Now aged 34, Hart worked as a chainsaw operator and in order to celebrate the festive season, he had gone to the community’s disco where he drank alcoholic beverages and danced with his friends. In his caution statement, Hart told investigators that it was about 21:30hrs on December 25, 2013, while he was at the disco, that Marlon Sam approached telling him, “what happen the last time will not happen this time, as he will take the first chance.”But, I told him I did not come for that. I came to enjoy myself, as it is Christmas and I don’t have time for you.” He said Sam continued “and came in front of me with a Guinness bottle and lashed me in my face and I held on to him and we scramble [fight].When I loosed Marlon, he ran in the corner of the disco. He was charging towards me and I took out a little black knife from my right side pants pocket and I gave him two ‘juks’ with the knife and I ran away to Jones Town Hill top, where police arrested me,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, in her report,Senior Probation Officer Ms. Egla October said that Hart had attended the Kwebanna Primary School in Region One and is the eighth of 10 children born to Cecil Hart now 79 years, a subsistence farmer and his wife Amy, aged 73 years, a housewife. He departed Region One, venturing into the world of work and leaving behind a life of poverty.
Since his departure from home, he never made contact with his parents nor his siblings, but they became aware of his whereabouts following his involvement in this matter. In the Kwakwani community, residents say Marlon Sam was very argumentative whenever he was under the influence of alcohol, whilst Hart was described as a person of quiet disposition when sober. However, when under the influence of alcohol, he was described as talkative.
The Judge, while noting that the accused had defended himself, observed that the caution statement was consistent with the eyewitnesses’ testimonies. The Judge noted that Marlon Sam was the aggressor, which was unfortunate. However, from Sam’s academic life, he seemed to be a person of value, having graduated from the Guyana School of Agriculture which led to a teaching career at the Kwakwani Primary and Secondary Schools, respectively. He later joined the Guyana Police Force where he spent eight months before leaving the profession as a Constable. “However, he apparently became a slave to alcohol. That’s unfortunate,” the Judge observed.

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