FIVE years after the battered body of pork-knocker, Shawn McDonald, was found in a metal tank at Kurupung, in Region Seven, his killer was, on Tuesday, sentenced to life in prison for the crime.

Noel Rodrigues was on trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the Essequibo High Court for manslaughter. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that, between June 18-19, 2016, he unlawfully killed McDonald.

A 12-member jury, on Tuesday, found Rodrigues guilty of the offence and he was later sentenced by Justice Singh.
On June 16, 2021, Rodrigues’ co-accused, Otis McCurdy, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Justice Singh.

According to reports, McDonald resided at Amelia’s Ward, Linden, and had worked in the interior for several years. A post-mortem showed that he sustained multiple injuries, including wounds to the head, a broken shoulder and a deep cut to the mouth that reportedly caused him to suffocate on his own blood.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that the killing may have been triggered by complaints from a woman that McDonald had tried to sexually assault her and had cut down two hammocks near a camp.
Police were also told that McDonald was seen drinking and brandishing a cutlass at individuals at Kurupung and was last seen alive heading towards his camp.

Additionally, the police were told that McCurdy and Rodrigues were later seen putting the pork-knocker, with his feet bound together, into the metal tank.