A MAN previously awaiting retrial for the murder of his elderly aunt has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted to the lesser charge of manslaughter before the High Court in Demerara.
Keith Harris, 52, appeared before Justice Nareshwar Harnanan and confessed to fatally stabbing his 76-year-old aunt, Audrey Harris-Hayde. The elderly woman’s body was discovered on December 2, 2022, at her residence on Princes Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.

At the time of her death, Harris-Hayde lived in a two-storey wooden and concrete house, situated in a fenced yard, with her reputed husband and nephew.
According to reports, Harris resided in the lower flat of the victim’s home. On the day of the incident, Harris-Hayde was in her yard working with a hammer when Harris, armed with a knife, approached and confronted her.

The elderly woman reportedly tried to defend herself by swinging the hammer but missed. Harris then stabbed her in the neck, with the blade allegedly piercing through to the other side.
He fled the scene, leaving his aunt bleeding on the ground. Her body was later discovered by a neighbour. She was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) where she was pronounced dead. Harris was subsequently arrested by police and reportedly confessed to the killing. With his guilty plea to manslaughter now entered, Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025.