CLARENCE Carter was on Thursday sentenced to a total of 18 years’ imprisonment for two indictments which took place in 2016 in the county of Demerara.

According to the state’s case which was led by Lisa Cave, it is alleged that on January 18, 2016, he murdered Leolyn Sullivan. The second indictment stated that on the day in question, he wounded his step daughter, Shemeka Campbell.

Carter denied the charge of murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and guilty to the second count, which was read to him in the Demerara High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

In handing down his sentence, Justice Kissoon said he started at a base of 25 years, but made some deductions.

The judge deducted eight years for the plea; 2 ½ years for time served and another 2 ½ years for mitigating factors. Twelve years was left to which six years was added for aggravating factors, including domestic violence and its prevalence.

For the second indictment, the judge imposed a sentence of five years.

Justice Kissoon, however, told the accused that his heart went out to him for the loss of his wife and the grief he suffered.

His sentence, which totals 23 years, will run concurrently. He will serve only 18 years.

The facts of the case, which was presented by state prosecutor Lisa Cave, said that the deceased and accused had shared a common law relationship and were living with his two step daughters and two other children.

She related that on the day in question, the deceased and the accused were involved in an argument which soon after escalated into a fight, during which the accused picked up a knife and stabbed the deceased several times to the body.

Cave added that it was at this point that daughter of the deceased, Shemeka Campbell, intervened and the accused inflicted several stab wounds to her body.

The deceased and her daughter were taken to the hospital where the latter was treated and survived, but Sullivan died while receiving treatment.

The state prosecutor gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple incised wounds.

Cave related that the post-mortem had revealed that the deceased had 23 stab wounds to her body.

She stated that step daughter of the accused, Shemeka Campbell, according to the medical report was stabbed six times about the body, after which the accused was arrested and charged.

However, when asked by the judge if he accepted the facts of the case, the accused said they were not accurate.

Carter said, “Your Honour I received seven stab wounds.”

Meanwhile, when asked by the judge if he accepted that he inflicted 23 stab wounds on the deceased, the accused smiled and asked “That is not what happened”.

He claimed that he was attacked and had to defend himself and at this point, Justice Sandil Kissoon then told the court that the plea was accepted.

In his plea of mitigation, Maxwell McKay, the defence attorney, told the court that the accused is 56 years old and a father of seven.

He stated that his behaviour in jail is good and as such, he started a ministry while incarcerated for two and a half years now and plead at the first opportunity and did not waste the court’s time.

When asked by the judge if he had anything to say, the accused Carter said he is very sorry for the loss of life and asked the relatives of the deceased for forgiveness.

He added that he is a changed man and has since been baptised in jail and has pledged to give back to society.