PUSH-CART music vendor Quincy Massiah, 29, was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the 2014 fatal stabbing of his colleague after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He appeared in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Navindra Singh who told the court that having listened to both sides, he has a better understanding of the case, and took note of the troubled past of the accused, adding that it does not justify what he did on the day in question.

The judge added that he can relate as to how things escalated since the accused was reportedly physically abused by some people and comments made about his mother triggered his aggressive behaviour. Justice Singh was however, pleased that the accused is utilising anger management classes in jail and will try to lend some assistance as it relates to his attorney’s request for him to benefit from counselling to get over his troubling past.

From the 10 years sentence, time served will be deducted. In his plea of mitigation, George Thomas told the court that the accused grew up in the West Ruimveldt area and at a young age his mother passed away and he went to live with his grandparents. He stated that after his grandparents died, Quincy was left to fend for himself.

Thomas added that the accused has shown willingness to accept his wrongdoing and asked for a lenient sentence. The defence attorney said that the accused has been in jail since his arrest in 2014 and asked the court to take that into consideration, since he has shown remorse and admitted responsibility for the incident. Thomas told the court that the accused also made an early plea and did not waste the court’s time and asked that he be counselled via the services of Dr. Bhiro Harry to assist him to get over his past. The accused in a very quiet voice told the court that he is sorry for what happened and admitted that he has some mental issues that he needs to overcome.

He told Justice Singh that he was a victim of physical abuse at the hands of some people, including the deceased. State Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs, in response, acknowledged the troubled past of the accused, his lack of education and maybe the absence of a mother “but these things were no excuse for what he did–took a life–and the state believes he should pay for his actions,” Gibbs stated. In leading the state’s case, Gibbs said that Quincy Massiah, called ‘Akeem’, on November 28, 2014, murdered Trevor Raghubir, called ‘Fineman’. She said that the deceased and the accused were known to each other and they both worked as push-cart music vendors and slept at the same premises, located at Lot 9 Camp and D’urban Streets, Georgetown.

Gibbs related that on the day in question, the duo had an argument over a hammock and the deceased made comments about the accused’s mother and dealt him a lash. She stated that there were an exchange of words, then the accused, who was unable to control his anger, proceeded to stab Raghubir in the region of the abdomen with a knife, which was about 20 centimeters long.

Gibbs said at this point, Raghubir fell to the ground. Later,when the accused was confronted by the police, he indicated that “Is me juk this man” and also admitted responsibility via a caution statement. The post-mortem report gave the cause of death as perforation of the aorta due to stab wounds.