JUSTICE Jo Ann Barlow imposed a 25-year sentence on Deon Sunthgolam, for killing Canje businessman, Terrance Mc Lean, Snr, during a fight over money back in 2014. The 12-member jury returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty to the lesser court of manslaughter, after collectively agreeing that Sunthgolan was not guilty of murder.

Standing in the prisoner’s dock, before the sentence was imposed, the father of a three-year-old boy, clutched the portrait of his son, whilst begging for leniency, even as he mentioned the hardship his son will face due to his incarceration. But the Judge reminded the convict that the now deceased, was his friend and partner in business. “He trusted you. And according to your words, he assisted you, but you decided to bore him up. You callously walked away, leaving him to die. For no apparent reason you took the life of another person…”

”Everyday we are confronted with violence, emerging from petty circumstances. You erred when you took the life of Mr Mc Lean. I cannot take into account the hardship your son will face. I have imposed 25 years. I have deducted two years and eleven months for the period you spent on remand and another year for your previous unblemished record.” Barlow added: “During your trial you said you could not read and write- there is no place in society for the illiterate. So I am ordering the prison authorities to make available to you, training, which will help with your reasoning power,” the judge said.

Meanwhile, during her earlier address to the jury, State Prosecutor, Ms. Tuanna Hardy urged them not to be swayed by the many distractions of the defence, but to focus on the evidence presented by the prosecution. Highlighting the evidence of the witnesses, Hardy reminded the panel that three persons saw the accused leaving the house of the now deceased on December 1, 2014. Mc Lean was never seen alive after that day, although he was expected to clear a crate the following day. That crate was cleared one year later. “Prosecution does not have to prove motive. Whose documents were locked away in the deceased safe,” she questioned. The caution statement attributed to the accused did not raise the issue of self-defence.

The State’s case was that on December 1, 2014, Sunthgolam who had borrowed a sum of money had gone to the now deceased home to make a part payment, and to collect his Guyana passport which bore a United States of America visa. However, there was a disagreement, after Mc Lean wanted all of the outstanding sum. During the argument, Sunthoglam went into McLean’s kitchen, grabbed a knife and inflicted the fatal wounds on the unsuspecting man who was seated in the living room.