A YOUNG man from Kanuku Drive, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) has been sentenced to six years in prison for the fatal beating of his drinking companion during a heated altercation.

The sentence was handed down on 24-year-old Fabian Abraham by Justice Sandil Kissoon on Thursday at the High Court in Demerara.
Initially indicted to the capital offence of murder, Abraham, also known as “Chucky”, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in connection with the death of Leroy Ault, 48. Ault, a farmer from Moco Mono Village, Central Rupununi, Region Nine, was beaten with a piece of iron by Abraham during a melee on March 25, 2020.

Reports are that the farmer, who sells his produce at Lethem, was involved in an altercation with another man at Kanuku Drive, Lethem, and during the melee several men attacked the farmer.
He was allegedly beaten about his body with a wood, and Abraham hit him about his head with a piece of iron. The man was taken to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. At the time of the incident, Abraham was 19 years old.

The prosecution, led by State Counsel Delon Fraser, argued that the crime was particularly heinous, given the circumstances. He emphasised that Ault was unarmed and did not pose a threat to Abraham. He further noted that after delivering the fatal blows, Abraham fled the scene, abandoning his gravely injured victim to die. The prosecutor urged the court to consider the devastating impact of Ault’s demise on his family and the community.

Fraser argued that Ault was denied the chance to live a full and meaningful life, leaving his six children to grow up without the love and guidance of their father.
Emphasising the deliberate nature of the attack, he noted that the convict inflicted multiple injuries to Ault’s head and body, resulting in severe blunt trauma. His cause of death was later confirmed as cerebral haemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

Defence Attorney Jerome Khan, in his plea for mitigation, urged the judge to temper justice with mercy. He highlighted that his client had shown genuine remorse for his actions, cooperated fully with the police from the outset, and chose to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Khan also urged the court to consider the request from Ault’s family, who expressed a desire for Abraham not to be imprisoned. He further noted that before his incarceration, his client had been gainfully employed in his family’s food business, and as a mechanic.

When Justice Kissoon asked if he had any final words before sentencing, Abraham replied: “I didn’t intend to cause his [Ault’s] death; the thing happened so fast…”
While delivering the sentence, Justice Kissoon highlighted that alcohol consumption in hinterland and riverine communities has become a driving force behind crimes, particularly unlawful killings, often fueled by the prevalence of unregulated rum shops.

“The effects of alcohol loom large in criminal proceedings,” Justice Kissoon said. Despite the victim’s family’s request for Abraham to avoid incarceration, Justice Kissoon emphasised that a custodial sentence was necessary, given the severity of the offence, to uphold the law, and serve the public interest.

Justice Kissoon acknowledged several mitigating factors in Abraham’s favour, including his youth, his expression of sincere remorse, prior clean criminal record, lack of premeditation, and evidence of substantial provocation by Ault. Prosecutor Fraser had recommended a starting sentence of 25 years, but the judge stated that such a sentence “would not serve the interest of justice”.

As a result, Justice Kissoon set a starting sentence of 10 years, from which a one-third reduction (three years and three months) was applied for the convict’s early guilty plea, along with an additional seven-month deduction for mitigating factors, resulting in a final sentence of six years.

The young offender was given full credit for time spent on remand.
In addition to the jail term, Justice Kissoon ordered that Abraham take part in educational programmes to assist in his rehabilitation while incarcerated. The judge also directed that he be enrolled in programmes designed for individuals with alcohol abuse issues.