WARREN Dennis, a 42-year-old cane-cutter, was on Friday sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for brutally attacking a woman with a cutlass in 2017.
Dennis, formerly of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was sentenced by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.
On March 17 of this year, Dennis admitted that on April 23, 2017, in the County of Demerara, he wounded the woman with intent to commit murder.
According to reports, the couple had once shared a relationship, but on the day in question, they reportedly had a misunderstanding and the victim walked away.
Dennis would subsequently arm himself with a cutlass and ambush the woman through an alleyway, dealing her several chops, according to the prosecutor’s facts.
He then chased her into a nearby trench and dealt her several more chops about her body, causing her to lose her left hand.
On Friday last, based on a probation report compiled by a social worker, the court heard that while Dennis was “a responsible and hardworking man”, his home and family circumstances left much to be desired, as, according to his neighbours and other acquaintances, he was very abusive to the victim.
In her impact statement, the victim asked that Dennis be given the maximum penalty so that he can no longer be free to abuse other women.
“Because of this incident, I have low self-esteem, and I don’t socialise anymore,” the survivor told the court, adding: “This incident has taken a toll on me. Every day, I cry because of what this man has done to me; I would like the Court to impose the maximum penalty on Warren Dennis for everything he has put me through.”
Attorney-at-Law Madan Kissoon, during his plea of mitigation for Dennis, said his client is remorseful for his actions, and wishes to apologise for the hurt he’s caused the victim.
According to State Prosecutor Cicelia Corbin, Dennis’ actions towards the victim were “pre-planned and unprovoked,” and as such she asked the judge to impose a sentence that will serve as a deterrent to him and other like-minded offenders.
Justice Morris-Ramlall, in her sentencing remarks, told Dennis that violence is inexcusable, and that she found no mitigating factors in his favour.
After considering the nature of the case and the prevalence of the crime, the Judge sentenced Dennis to eight years’ imprisonment.
She, however, ordered that the prison authorities deduct from the sentence the time he’s already spent on remand since 2017.
