Two men who admitted to killing their wives in separate domestic violence incidents are now awaiting sentencing at the Demerara High Court. Michael London, a former soldier, pleaded guilty to the capital offence of murder before Justice Simone Morris last week.
He admitted to killing his wife, 38-year-old Shaneka Elliot, who was stabbed to death on May 19, 2017, at Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10. Elliot was reportedly attempting to end the abusive relationship when she was attacked. Reports indicate that London inflicted approximately 15 stab wounds on the woman, who was pronounced dead at the Mackenzie Hospital.

A post-mortem confirmed that her cause of death was multiple incise wounds. After committing the act, London fled the scene and was captured by police the same evening in the jungle of Moblissa, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. During the arrest, he reportedly resisted and attacked the police officers, resulting in him being shot in the leg.

Now that London has pleaded guilty, he is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2025, following the court’s consideration of victim impact statements, a probation report, and other relevant reports.
In a separate but equally horrifying case, a man identified only as Gowkaran, pleaded guilty to the capital offence of murder for the killing of his wife, 47-year-old Debbie Singh, in 2020.

Gowkaran, 54, admitted before Justice Morris that on April 9, 2020, he deliberately set Singh on fire at their home at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD). The incident took place in the presence of their then-one-year-old twin children.
The state prosecutor presented the agreed statement of facts, which detailed how Singh was doused with kerosene and alcohol and set ablaze during a domestic dispute.

As the flames engulfed her body, Gowkaran reportedly restrained Singh, preventing her from escaping. Despite her injuries, she managed to break free and ran outside to seek help from a neighbour. Meanwhile, Gowkaran locked himself in a room and attempted to take his own life by hanging. Police were forced to break down the door, after which they rescued him and placed him under arrest.

Singh sustained critical burn injuries and was later hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she succumbed. A post-mortem examination determined that she died from pulmonary thromboembolism due to septic burns, further complicated by multiple acute gastric ulcers.

With Gowkaran now having pleaded guilty to the capital offence, his sentencing has been set for May 7, 2025. Justice Morris is expected to make her decision after reviewing victim impact statements, a probation report, and other relevant reports. Both London and Gowkaran remain in custody as remanded prisoners.