THE Appellate Court on Wednesday set aside the 83-year prison term of wife-killer Paul Anthony Lo-Hing and sentenced him to 30 years for manslaughter instead.
Lo-Hing, in December 2014, was convicted by a 12-member jury and sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh for murdering his lover, Shoala Gilgeous; Gilgeous died from strangulation on August 6, 2012 at ‘E’ Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

However, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag)Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud agreed to substitute the murder conviction with manslaughter.

The appeal was filed by Lo-Hing’s attorney Everton Singh-Lammy, who asked the court to reverse and/or set aside the conviction. He also argued that the sentence was too severe, given the circumstances of the case.

The judges allowed the appeal and set aside the conviction and sentence. The conviction for manslaughter was instituted and a sentence of 30 years was imposed; the time Lo-Hing had already served will be deducted.

According to evidence led during trial at the High Court, Gilgeous and Lo-Hing shared an abusive relationship and lived together at Sophia and she was found dead on the day in question. There were no eye-witnesses and the doctor who performed the post-mortem stated that death was due to strangulation.

Lo-Hing was arrested and charged after a police investigation.