Eddie to serve seven years for manslaughter

TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Eddie Andy Williams of West Coast, Demerara, was given the chance of his life last Thursday by Justice William Ramlal who sentenced him to seven years imprisonment for manslaughter, as relatives of the deceased asked the judge to deal with the accused leniently.
The judge took a number of mitigating circumstances into consideration when he sentenced the prisoner who could have been imprisoned for the rest of his life.
Williams, defended by Miss Oneka Archer Caulder had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jermaine Jones but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which caries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Miss Caulder delivered a stirring plea in mitigation.
Williams had a number of mitigating circumstances in his favour, including factors highlighted by the relatives of the deceased, an officer of the prisons, the report of the Probation Department, and a statement from the accused himself in open court, expressing his remorse at what had happened and asking for forgiveness from the relatives.
From the well of the court, the mother and aunt and another relative of the deceased, asked the judge to deal with the accused leniently, saying that they would not like him to be visited with a long term of imprisonment.
Prosecutrix Miss Natasha Backer said that a life had been lost and the prosecution would like to see a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to others.
According to the prosecution’s case, the accused had stabbed Jermaine Jones to death.
But the accused said that on the night in question, he simply acted in self-defence and it was never his intention to take a life. He was in bed when Jermaine, now deceased, turned up with a baseball bat and started to beat him with it and allegedly threatened to kill him.
The accused told Senior Probation and Social Services Officer I. King that despite his pleas that night begging Jermaine to stop beating him, he continued.
As he fell on his knees, he reportedly saw a knife on the floor and in desperation he picked it up and stabbed Jermaine on both legs and on the upper part of his body. It was only when he heard Jermaine’s cry to stop, he realized what he had done, and in fear he fled the house, the accused related to the Probation Officer.
In conclusion the Probation Officer said that the accused grew up in an unstable family environment, moving between his parents from Georgetown to the West Coast of Demerara. Nonetheless, he has demonstrated good behaviour as was reported during investigations. He was denied a proper education due to his expulsion from school at the age of 14 years and due to his parents’ limited financial resources he was forced to remain at home and subsequently entered the workforce at a young age.
Based on observations, it seemed evident that the accused was being provoked by Jones over an extended period, which may have contributed to the tragic end. At the time of the committal of the offence, the accused was just 18-years-old.
The Probation Officer told the court it was unfortunate that Williams lost his temper on the night in question, resulting in a life being lost. The accused repeatedly expressed remorse for his action and pleaded with for leniency.
After passing sentence, the judge in addressing the prisoner advised him to walk the straight and narrow path and to take advantage of the opportunity as he might never get it again.

(By George Barclay)