THE case of the two men convicted of the 2018 murder of Bourda Market vendor Troy Ramalho is set to conclude today, with the killers being sentenced. The men’s sentencing hearing is being presided over by Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

Akeem Morris, 32, and Roy Sandiford, 39, had both pleaded not guilty to charges related to the fatal shooting of Ramalho during a robbery. However, following lengthy deliberations, a jury found them guilty of the crime on January 31, 2025.

Morris, a miner from Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown, and Sandiford, a resident of Section “A” Sophia, Georgetown, were part of a three-man gang that ambushed Ramalho on August 15, 2018, near Bourda Market in Georgetown.

Prosecutors Muntaz Ali and Christopher Belfield argued that the crime occurred around 11:00 p.m., when Ramalho, a well-known vendor selling cheese and eggs in front of “Rambarran’s” on Robb Street, Georgetown, resisted the robbery attempt. The assailants, armed with weapons, fatally shot the 45-year-old vendor during the confrontation, before escaping in a waiting car.

Despite efforts by bystanders to assist, Ramalho succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Morris is being represented by attorney Kiswana Jefford, while Dexter Todd serves as Sandiford’s defence counsel. In connection with the case, Nya John, initially charged with Ramalho’s murder, was acquitted after a jury returned a unanimous not-guilty verdict.

Meanwhile, George Paton, an accomplice of the convicts, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. Paton, who was the driver of the getaway car, received a reduced sentence following his guilty plea.