FIVE years after 76-year-old David Ramkissoon was killed during a robbery at his Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home, his killer, Sherwin Clarke called “Hot Skull” was, on Friday, sentenced to life for the gruesome crime.

Clarke, formerly of Prince William Street, Plaisance, ECD, was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.

Back in June, Clarke was arraigned for murder and pleaded not guilty. After his trial commenced, Clarke threw himself at the mercy of the court and opted to admit to manslaughter.

Clarke admitted that, on August 21, 2016, he unlawfully killed Ramkissoon during the course of a robbery.

He was represented by attorney-at-law, Damien DaSilva, while the state’s case was presented by prosecutor Muntaz Ali.

During his sentencing hearing, the victim’s daughter-in-law, Nalini Ramkissoon’s impact statement was read in court.

In her statement, the woman said that she is haunted by the memory of finding her father-in-law’s lifeless body

“From that day to now I still feel the pain… Many days all I can do is cry because I miss him so dearly,” she said.

In his address to the court, Clarke expressed remorse for his actions and said, “I’m very sorry for all that happened… Please give me another chance.”

“I’m asking the deceased’s family to please forgive me for my wrongdoing. I’m just asking for another chance to make it right,” he added.

Meanwhile, his attorney, DaSilva, asked the court to temper justice with mercy for his client. He said that his client can be rehabilitated.

Prosecutor Ali urged the court to send a strong message to deter the accused man and other like-minded potential offenders from contemplating similar crimes.

The judge, during his sentencing remarks, said that she considered the seriousness of the offence, the impact on the deceased man’s family, among other factors.

“Cold, brutal and callous best describes the horrific invasion,” the judge said as he explained that Clarke received $25,000 as his “bounty” for the crime.

As it relates to aggravating factors, Justice Kissoon said that Ramkissoon fell into the category of a “vulnerable victim” since he was 76 and suffered from cerebral palsy, a condition that affected his movements and his ability to maintain balance and posture.

“He was a pensioner, he had given a life of service to his country, his community and his family. At the time of this crime, he was in the precinct of his home, which is considered by all citizens as their castle, when this violent crime was unleashed, and meted out to him, brought to him, literally at his doorstep…He died alone, unaided, unassisted at the hands of this accused and his accomplices who sought to deprive him of what little he had, in terms of material possessions,” the judge said.

According to Justice Kissoon, the court cannot turn a blind eye, given the prevalence of robbery within our society where citizens are subjected, on a daily basis, to offences of this nature.

As such, he added that the rule of law has always been that when such offences are prevalent and remain unchecked, the sentence of the corporate must be sufficiently severe to deter like-minded offenders.

“The prevalence and frequency of this crime, of this offence, and similar offences of the stature involved in the use of violence that often results in [the] death of citizens, continues unabated and remains of grave concern to these courts. One of the fundamentals remains the safety, security and wellbeing of all citizens and all members of society. That is the overriding consideration at all times,” he underscored.

To this end, he explained that the matter before the court was a “severe, harsh and violent crime” that warranted systematic penalty.

In the end, the judge sentenced Clarke to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving 20 years.

In April, Clarke’s co-accused, Godfrey Gill called “Chucky”, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

On August 21, 2016, Ramkissoon was found with his throat slit in his home. The perpetrators escaped with jewellery and cash.

Detectives who visited the scene on the day of the murder saw footprints in the mud at the back of the pensioner’s yard leading to an alleyway.

They also spotted drops of blood that led to a shack located a short distance from the slain man’s house.