JUSTICE Navindra Singh handed a 12-year sentence to Levi Stevens, after he pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge on Thursday.

Stevens was initially charged for murdering his cousin, Arnold Gordon. However, with the guidance of his attorney, Mark Conway, he pleaded not-guilty to murder, and guilty to manslaughter.

The 29-year-old man was a farmer of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi, and on March 16, 2017, at Tiger Plate, Central Rupununi, he killed his cousin. The body of the 24-year-old was found with an arrow in the chest. He was a labourer of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi.

According to police, Gordon was apparently clubbed, then shot with a bow and arrow under his right arm-pit. An iron rod was also found near the murder scene.

According to an eyewitness, Stevens used a length of wood and a metal rod to hit Gordon. The police reportedly learnt of the incident through a Toshao, who came by the information from the eyewitness’ grandmother. Acting upon what he was told, the Toshao put together a team and went in search of Gordon, the police said.

The search party eventually found what appeared to be a shallow grave in some bushes some 20 feet from the suspect’s campsite. The police were summoned, and Gordon’s remains were discovered in the shallow grave.

About three weeks later Stevens was captured. When the matter was called before Justice Singh on Thursday, he did not waste the court’s time with a trial, but rather, admitted and showed remorse for what he had done.