STEVE Allicock, who is currently serving 60 years in prison for a 2009 murder, on Monday had his sentence reduced to 25 years by the Guyana Court of Appeal.
In 2017, Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court had sentenced Allicock after a 12-member jury found him guilty of murdering Wendell Tappin on December 31, 2009, at Hill Street, Albouystown.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that Tappin, 23, called “Wendell Keyco” was involved in an argument with Allicock, who inflicted stab wounds to the man’s chest and escaped. The father of two was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Dissatisfied with his sentence, Allicock through his attorney Mark Conway filed an appeal. It was argued that the conviction could not stand, given the evidence adduced during the trial. Allicock had also contended that his sentence was excessive in all the circumstances of the case.

The appeal was heard by Chancellor (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Brassington Reynolds. The state was represented by Prosecutor Stacy Gooding. Justice Cummings-Edwards while delivering the ruling, noted that the court had accepted the ground of appeal that the sentence was manifestly excessive. “We are of the view that the sentence is indeed harsh…,” she said before noting that a jail sentence of 25 years would be appropriate.
The court, having taken into consideration the life expectancy as outlined by the United Nations, sentencing guidelines and its previous rulings, allowed the appeal in respect of the sentence and reduced it from 60 to 25 years. Nevertheless, Allicock’s conviction for murder was upheld.