Men who murdered British teen file appeal

THE two men, who were recently sentenced by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon for the 2015 murder of British citizen, Dominic Bernard, have approached the Court of Appeal.

Hing, who is the godbrother of Bernard, and his friend, Staymon George called “Sherwin” were sentenced by Justice Kissoon at the Berbice High Court for the capital offence of murder.

George had pleaded guilty to the crime which alleged that on October 14, 2015, at Kildonan Village, Corentyne, East Berbice, he murdered Bernard. However, Hing pleaded not guilty to the offence and was later found guilty by a 12-member jury.

Dead : Dominic Bernard

On October 20, 2021, George was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 35 years. On November 5, Hing was sentenced to death by Justice Kissoon.

The petitioners have expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of their trials.

Hing, is claiming that his conviction cannot stand because he had an unfair trial and his sentence was excessive.

According to George, he was pressured by his attorney into pleading guilty which resulted in the judge erring by accepting the unequivocal plea to murder contrary to common law on the facts stated by the prosecution. George, among other things, said that the judge should have accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter and not the capital offence of murder.

Hing’s ‘childmother’, Krystol Thomas; her mother, Sinfine Henry, also known as “Coreen,” and his friend, Jahmil Sinclair, who were granted $300,000 bail each after being charged as accessories to Bernard’s murder, are expected to stand trial soon.

The teenager arrived in Guyana on the evening of October 14, 2015.  George, who is said to be a close friend of Hing, was the driver who transported Hing to the airport to collect Bernard. The teen was scheduled to fly back to England on November 5, 2015.

After collecting the teen from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, they stopped at a location on Sheriff Street where they ate and drank a few beers. Bernard was never seen again. His parents came to Guyana, after he failed to arrive home.

On January 8, 2016, a badly decomposed body was found in a shallow grave in the backlands of Nurney Village. A DNA sample taken from the body was tested against Dominic’s father, and they matched.

The police later issued an arrest warrant for Hing and George after they disappeared when investigators attempted to contact them.

Hing was arrested while hiding out at a city hotel, while George was nabbed at a house in Tucville, Georgetown. It is alleged that those charged with accessory hid Bernard’s personal belongings, including his camera.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.