FOUR years after 34-year-old Rawle Rodrigues was killed during a robbery at the Route 40 minibus park, his killers were, on Wednesday, sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
Affiba Yenkana, called “Dougla”, and Akeem Haymer, called “Curry”, were on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member jury at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder.
During the trial hearing on Wednesday, the men opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.  Justice Kissoon directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on the murder charge, and a guilty verdict for manslaughter.
The men admitted that on January 20, 2017, at Croal Street, Stabroek, they unlawfully killed Rodrigues during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

According to reports, on the said date, three men attacked and later stabbed Rodrigues in the chest during a robbery. The men had allegedly trailed him from the Demico Roof Garden, where he was earlier seen consuming alcohol.
A third accused, Wayne Gilbert, who was charged separately, is currently on remand awaiting his trial at the High Court.
The indictment was presented by State Prosecutor Lisa Cave. The men were represented by attorneys-at-law, Rachael Bakker and Lawrence Harris. The attorneys, during their pleas of mitigation, urged the court to temper justice with mercy while adding that the convicts have good prospects of being rehabilitated for reintegration into society.
While delivering his sentencing remarks, the judge said Yenkana and Haymer were previously convicted and sentenced for robbery and larceny from the person.

“Neither of the two accused has learned from that experience. Neither of the two accused has made any meaningful attempt to rehabilitate or reintegrate into society to take their rightful places to bring pride and honour and dignity to their parents for the sacrifices that would have been made to bring them to this stage in their life. Instead, they have, on their own free will, elected to resort to a life of crime and demonstrated a reluctance and unwillingness to reform,” Justice Kissoon said.

The judge noted that after their first release from prison, the duo returned to a life of crime by preying upon innocent citizens. Such was the case of Rodrigues, who, the judge noted, could have been easily subdued without violence. However, because of their premeditated design to obtain money criminally from unsuspecting citizens, the men armed themselves with a deadly weapon and snuffed out the victim’s life instead.  The judge said that citizens must feel free to carry on with their business without the fear of being attacked and robbed. He also said that the sentence of the court must not only fit this bastardly act, but should also serve as a deterrent for like-minded offenders.