PHILIP Sutherland was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for the 2014 killing of his friend during a drunken brawl in the Rupununi, having pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in the Georgetown High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

Having made some deductions, including for time served, plea of mitigation and the probation report, Justice Kissoon handed down the 10-year sentence.

The judge told the court that the plea of mitigation which was presented by defence attorney Siand Dhurjon was well informed. Justice Kissoon added that the act caused the family of the deceased much grief and although it was a drunken fight among friends, justice must be served.

According to the state’s case, which was led by Mandel Moore in association with Lisa Cave, on January 9, 2014 in the county of Essequibo, the accused, the deceased, Martin Roberts and other persons went to the home of the deceased’s brother-in-law to do some self-help work.

However, later that day they proceeded to drink alcohol after which the accused and others were involved in a fight.

The court heard that the accused and the victim were friends and they were drinking yeast tonic wine in the Rupununi area when a fight broke out between the accused and another man. Somehow, the victim got involved and received injuries. The cause of death was given as a broken larynx, and blunt trauma to the head.

The court heard too that the body of the deceased was found and when the father of the deceased went to the scene, the accused told him he had killed his son.

In his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Siand Dhurjon told the court that his client was only 23 years old when the incident happened and he resided at Annai, North Rupununi where his life was simple and has seven siblings, a wife and two children. At the time, he was a farmer and his children are now six and seven years old respectively.

Dhurjon added that the probation report described the accused as a quiet, well-behaved and thoughtful individual, who has been observing all prison rules and has been communicating well with fellow inmates.

The attorney stated that based on the evidence, it is clear that the accused was not the sole contributor which led to the demise of the deceased.

Dhurjon told the court that the accused has expressed genuine remorse, has reformed and is a Christian, who wants to make peace with himself and has had the time to do some soul-searching and decided to come to terms with his past.

The attorney explained that his client is simple, is no hardened criminal and his lifestyle is different since he was unaware of the ramifications of his action back then. The attorney then pleaded for leniency on his client’s behalf.

Dhurjon added that his client is now 27 years old and noted that the evidence is not tremendously strong against the accused, who was young, simple and hardworking.

In response, state prosecutor Mandel Moore said that the accused admitted he was in the fight and he killed the deceased.

On March 27, 2018, the accused Philip Sutherland on the date scheduled for his probation report and sentencing for the 2014 alleged murder of Martin Roberts, changed his plea through his attorney Siand Dhurjon before Justice James Bovell-Drakes in the Georgetown High Court.

He had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter three weeks ago, after which a probation report was requested and it was granted by the judge.

However, when he showed up before the said judge his attorney Siand Dhurjon made an application to change the plea of the accused to not guilty.

In his submission, Dhurjon cited that at the time the accused made the plea of not guilty to manslaughter, he did not understand his plea and what he was pleading to.

On March 6, 2018, Philip Sutherland pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the January 9, 2014 alleged murder of Martin Roberts in the county of Essequibo.