KISHINO Williams, called “Kishi,” 36, and others were involved in a rum spree in October, 2006, when “Kishi” became drunk and saturated a dwelling house with gasoline before setting it on fire. Five-year-old Joy Singh was burnt to death as a result.

Police investigations led to Kishi being charged with murder of the child and with setting fire to a dwelling house, knowing that a human being was inside.
At his jury trial at the Demerara Assizes on Thursday, Kishi pleaded not guilty and a jury was empanelled to try the case.
But on the following day, Friday, the accused who was appearing before Justice Navindra Singh and a mixed jury consulted with his counsel and decided he wished to change his plea from one of not guilty of murder to that of guilty of manslaughter
In addition to changing his plea, the accused said that he was sorry for what he did when he was in a senseless state. The judge then addressed the jury who later delivered a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.
The judge after hearing Prosecutrix, Mrs. Judith Mursalin and defence counsel Miss Deobra Kumar’s mitigation plea, decided that the other count of setting fire to a dwelling house will be taken together.
In relation to the charge of manslaughter, the judge said he was beginning with 30 years. From that he would deduct six years for the remorse shown, 9 years for the time he had been incarcerated and four years resulting from mitigation, leaving the prisoner to serve 11 years in prison.
For the offence of setting fire to a dwelling house, the accused was sentenced to 10 years and the judge ordered that the two sentences run concurrently. The accused will therefore serve only 11 years.

By George Barclay