FORTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Phillip Solomon, on Tuesday, pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his workmate in 2018.

Solomon of Ice House Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder. However, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He admitted that, on October 24, 2018, at Timehri, East Bank Demerara, he unlawfully killed 51-year-old Vernon Cummings.

Justice Reynolds deferred sentencing until October 25.

According to reports, Cummings and Solomon were known to each other, and worked as labourers on the Timehri wharf, where they would usually consume alcohol and get into arguments.

On the day in question, the men were drinking and had a misunderstanding which led to an argument and subsequently a scuffle.

It is alleged that Cummings armed himself with a piece of iron and the accused with a wooden paddle. They subsequently began hitting each other.

Solomon’s brother, on being informed about the fight, rushed to the scene to make peace.

It was after he (the brother) took away the iron from Cummings that the accused dealt Cummings a lash to his head, causing him to fall.

Cummings was rushed to the Diamond Public Hospital where he died while receiving treatment.