TIMOTHY McKenzie, a minibus conductor accused of fatally stabbing a fruit vendor near Stabroek Market in 2018, was found guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday by a 12-member jury.

On Tuesday, after a two-hour deliberation on whether he was guilty of murder, the jury returned a verdict that confirmed McKenzie was liable for the lesser offence of manslaughter.

The case was tried before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.

He will return to court on November 5, when a probation report will be presented. Thereafter, he will be sentenced.

He is being represented by attorneys-at-law Edrianna Stephen and Ronald Daniels, while prosecutor Muntaz Ali is on record for the state.

McKenzie, 25, a minibus operator of Kitty, Georgetown, had denied murdering 22-year-old Richard Noel.

According to police reports, Noel and McKenzie knew each other. They had a misunderstanding after McKenzie reportedly assaulted Noel’s sister.

On the day in question, about 13:30hrs, the two men had a heated confrontation while in the vicinity of Cornhill Street, Stabroek. McKenzie, armed with a knife, approached Noel and reportedly dealt him a single stab to the left side of his chest.

The victim collapsed to the ground and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in an unconscious state. He died while undergoing treatment for the wound.