TWO men, who admitted to separate charges of manslaughter in relation to the demise of their spouses, have been handed jail terms by Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry of the Demerara High Court.

Tyron James, 41, formerly of Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) has admitted to killing his 37-year-old common-law wife, Evanee Baptiste. He was initially indicted for the capital offence, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser charge.

Considering both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the judge sentenced James on Friday to nine years in jail. The amount of time this offender spent in pretrial incarceration must be subtracted from the total amount of jail term.

Justice Sewnarine-Beharry mandated that James participate in the Prison Service’s vocational training programme in order to support his rehabilitation.

Defence attorney Teriq Mohammed represented Thomas, while the indictment was presented by State Counsels Caressa Henry and Joy Williams.

The agreed facts state James witnessed Baptiste dancing with a different man named “Stone Face” on the day in question while she was drinking at the Port Kaituma Waterfront.

James became upset and gave the woman a cuff to her head, which knocked her to the ground. After that, he went to the Port Kaituma Police Station and made a report.

Baptiste was brought to the Port Kaituma Hospital, where upon arrival, she was pronounced dead. Her cause of death was listed as blunt trauma-related cerebral haemorrhage. James and Baptiste had children together.

12-YEAR SENTENCE
Meanwhile, Dhanraj Theophillus, the 52-year-old man who beat his teenage wife to death at Baramita, Region One, was jailed for 12 years on Friday.

When Theophillus stood before Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, he chose to enter a guilty plea to the lesser offense of manslaughter despite having been initially charged with murder.

Theophillus acknowledged killing Lorenda Thomas, his 18-year-old wife, between January 17 and January 18, 2018. The couple had one child and was together for over two years.

The Prison Service was directed to deduct the killer’s time spent awaiting trial from his 12-year sentence. In order to aid in his rehabilitation, the judge also mandated that he participate in family reconciliation programmes, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and vocational training.

Theophillus was represented by attorney Teriq Mohammed, while State Counsels Joy Williams and Alvaro Ramotar prosecuted this case.

After a fight broke out between the couple, Thomas was assaulted by her spouse. The man approached her on January 17, 2018, as she was on her way home after seeing a friend. She was rendered unconscious as a result of multiple kicks to the abdomen, inflicted by him.

Following the incident, Thomas was able to walk home; however, on January 18, 2018, she visited the health centre due to excruciating stomach pain.

That same evening, she passed away as arrangements were being made to fly her to Georgetown for medical care. She died from shock and bleeding brought on by blunt trauma.