HIGH Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall on Wednesday sentenced two men to serve over 10 years in prison for the 2018 murder of phone card vendor, Ron Mansfield, who was fatally shot during a robbery.

The men Alexander La Cruz, 31, a father of two, formerly of West Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and Mark Welch, 31, formerly of West La Penitence, Georgetown, were sentenced to 13 and 14 years, respectively, at the Demerara High Court.
The pair had previously admitted to killing Mansfield, a 37-year-old father of two, on June 19, 2018, during the course or furtherance of a robbery.
Mansfield, a 37-year-old father of two was fatally shot on the day in question, upon returning home from selling phone cards. Welch had confessed that he was the “lookout man”, while La Cruz admitted to being the getaway driver.
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During the sentencing, Justice Morris-Ramlall emphasised the senselessness of such crimes and acknowledged the prevalent issue in society.
“Way too often hard-working citizens are robbed of their possessions and killed in the process”, the judge said while delivering her sentencing remarks.
Despite neither being the actual shooter, the judge considered their involvement and expressed optimism about their chances of rehabilitation due to their youth.
The sentences which started at 24 years, were reduced to 13 and 14 years for La Cruz and Welch, respectively, considering their early guilty plea and mitigating factors.
The men were also credited for time spent in pre-trial detention.

Attorney-at-Law Tuanna Hardy represented the defendants, while Attorneys-at-Law Rbina Christmas, Caressa Henry, Delon Fraser, and Madana Rampersaud prosecuted the case.