TWO years after 19-year-old Dave Boyal was fatally stabbed with an arrow at Blackwater Backdam, Cuyuni River, his cousin, David Smith, was, on Friday, sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the crime.

Last month, Smith, also known as ‘Shanko,’ was arraigned before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Suddie High Court for murder, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

According to the particulars of the charge,Smith, on March 22, 2019, unlawfully killed Boyal with an arrow.

During his sentencing hearing on Friday, Smith said that on a date in question he was under the influence of alcohol and cannot recall what happened.

However, he remembers waking up later that day in the Bartica Police Station lockups and being told by police that he had murdered his cousin.

Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, before imposing her sentencing, considered the nature and gravity of the offence as well as the use of a dangerous weapon to commit the crime. She also said that Smith is an adult and should have known better.

Nevertheless, she gave him credit for not wasting the court’s time and confessing to the crime.

The judge, in handing down her decision, ordered that Smith serve seven years in prison and that the prison authorities deduct from the sentence the time he spent on remand.

The state was represented by prosecutor Tiffini Lyken while Smith was represented by attorney-at-law Lachmi Dindayal.

According to reports, Smith and Boyal were close cousins who lived in the same area. On the day in question, the two men were at a camp when an argument ensued between them.

As a result, Smith, in his fury, stabbed Boyal to the left side of his lower abdomen with an arrow, which resulted in Boyal bleeding profusely. He subsequently succumbed. Smith was later arrested and charged.