Accused: ‘Meh whole life I running and I am not sure why’

A REPENTANT Ryan Jones was on Tuesday sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment for the 2016 killing, in the course or furtherance of a robbery, after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

The sentence was handed down by Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Demerara High Court after the plea was accepted by the court.
According to the State, Ryan Jones called “Rayan Jones” in the course or furtherance of a robbery, murdered Puranand Baljit, a young mechanic on June 9, 2016.
The accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
The deceased, Puranand Baljit, 20, of Madewini, Timehri was stabbed 10 times and succumbed to his injuries.

In handing down his sentence, Justice Kissoon told the court that based on the facts, it was noted that Jones entered the dwelling house of the deceased who was sleeping and killed him, in the commission of another crime and took away a bag containing his laptop and cell phone.
The cell phone worth thousands of dollars was sold for $5,000 by the accused who was arrested on the seawalls on June 11, 2016.
The judge stated and it was also noted, that the accused took a weapon (knife) with him to the home of the deceased, which he used to inflict the stab wounds on the young victim, who had woken up and was screaming for his parents.

Justice Kissoon urged the accused to utilise the skills’ training available while he is in jail so that he could rehabilitate himself.
The judge started his sentence at a base of 25 years of which he deducted one third for his early plea and two years and one month for time served.
Justice Kissoon, however, added 10 years for the unlawful killing in the commission of another felony and three years, seven months were also added for the brutality of the crime (the victim was stabbed 10 times).

Jones, 22, was then sentenced to a total of 28 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, until he has fully served his sentence.

In presenting the facts, State prosecutor Mandel Moore told the court that on June 9, 2016 the accused entered the bedroom of the deceased through an open window and stole some items, but the latter woke up and confronted the intruder (the accused).

The accused fled the scene with a bag containing the victim’s laptop but was arrested two weeks later and gave the police a detailed caution statement. He even led the cops to the abandoned house where had stored the stolen items. There, the suspected murder weapon which was caked with what appeared to be dried blood was found and was lodged with the police.
In his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Maxwell McKay told the court that Jones upon his arrest cooperated fully with the police. He entered an early plea and did not waste the court’s time.
He added that his client was a member of the church in jail and apart from escaping from lawful custody while being a prisoner at Lusignan Prison he had no other priors.

In response, State prosecutor Moore told the court that the victim who was only 20 years old was stabbed 10 times and he asked for the maximum sentence to be imposed.
Before Jones was sentenced, he told the court “meh whole life I running and I am not sure why but now I know from my feelings – like now I have no life.”
He related that he was sorry how things happened and asked the court to be lenient in the sentencing.

Jones admitted knowing the deceased before the incident.