— but will only serve 15

By George Barclay
JUSTICE Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday sentenced 30-year-old Joseph Williams called ‘Joel’ to 15 years’ imprisonment for manslaughter (unlawfully killing Victor Da Silva) and 14 years for the attempted murder of Cecil Gajadhar) on July 8, 2013.

Though sentences amounted to 29 years, the prisoner will only have to serve 15 years, since Judge Barlow ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
On July 8, 2013, Cecil Gajadhar who owns a gas station at Foulis, Enmore, along with his friend Victor Da Silva, left the gas station for the Republic Bank to deposit $8M.
While within the vicinity of the koker at Kingston, a vehicle in front of them pulled up suddenly.
Gajadhar stopped his car. Then gun shots rang out and he was hit by a bullet. DaSilva was also hit and died as a result. A post-mortem examination disclosed that his death was due to multiple gun shot injuries.
Gajadhar, who still has a bullet lodged in his head, managed to reach the bank, that day only to realise that the money had been stolen.
The accused Joel, in an interview with the police admitted that he was part of a plan. He admits that he traced the victim’ vehicle which he referred to as a silver RAV4. He told the police that he did not know the names of the three other guys who were part of the plan with him.
At the beginning of the jury trial Joel pleaded not guilty to the murder of Victor Da Silva. But midway in the trial he changed his plea from not guilty of murder to guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.
He also pleaded guilty to the count of attempted murder committed on Gajadhar.
Prosecutors Diana Kaulesar and Miss Tuanna Hardy spoke about the law of joint enterprise where each of the persons involved would be liable for the acts of the others in the furtherance of this pre-arranged plan.
Defence counsel Mr. Peter Hugh noted that though his client did not pull the trigger at the shooting, he was responsible and was sorry for what happened that day. Counsel begged the Court for leniency pointing out that the accused who was 30 years old had a clean record and was a father of four.
Judge Barlow noted that custodial sentence was the only approach and stressed that young men must be made to realise that ‘crime does not pay.’
The judge said that the records revealed that the prisoner was once in the army, which he left without permission and then joined the Guyana Police Force, from which he was dismissed.
Before imposing sentence judge Barlow told the prisoner: “People must be able to move about with their property unmolested.”