RYAN Lowe, a 39-year-old man, has been sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison for attempting to murder his co-worker, Leroy Cummings, in a violent attack at an Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) landfill site in 2016.

The sentence was delivered by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court on Monday after Lowe pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to commit murder.

Cummings had previously entered a guilty plea to the charge. However, the judge postponed sentencing to allow for the preparation of a probation report, along with a victim impact statement.

Also, the judge reviewed aggravating factors submitted by the prosecution and mitigating factors presented by the defence.

The incident occurred on November 23, 2016, at the Haags Bosch landfill site, where Lowe and Cummings were working.

Reports indicate that Cummings was asleep on the job when Lowe, who had been drinking nearby, approached him and launched a violent assault.

When Cummings awoke, Lowe accused him of stealing personal items. The situation escalated quickly, with Lowe stabbing Cummings multiple times with a knife, causing life-threatening injuries. One of the wounds was so severe that it led to the amputation of Cummings’s arm.

After the attack, Lowe fled the scene and managed to evade capture for nearly three years.

He was eventually arrested in late 2019 and charged with attempted murder.

In delivering his sentencing remarks, Justice Kissoon highlighted the seriousness of Lowe’s actions and the profound physical and emotional impact they had on the victim, Cummings.