MARTIN Salvador, a 54-year-old farmer was on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, sentenced to nine years imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Salvador was charged with murder, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The father of eight admitted that on October 16, 2014, at Nappi Village, Central Rupununi, he unlawfully killed Wilson James.

The state was represented by prosecutors Teriq Mohammed, Tuanna Hardy, and Abigail Gibbs, while Creame was represented by Attorney-at-Law Mark Conway. Conway, during his plea of mitigation, told the court that Creame was remorseful and has been attending church while in prison.

Justice Singh observed that the incident had stemmed from the defendant being intoxicated and the victim was his friend.

A nine-year sentence was imposed on Salvador and it was ordered that the prison authorities deduct the time the accused spent in pre-trial custody from the sentence.

It was reported that Salvador and James were on a drinking spree when an argument erupted between them. The quarrel reportedly led to a scuffle, during which James was chopped several times about his body. James, a farmer and father of three died from the injuries sustained.