CHRISTOPHER Stanley was sentenced to 23 years and seven months imprisonment for the 2015 ‘Tiger Bay’ killing of 44-year-old Owen Browne after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

The sentence was handed down in the Demerara High Court by Justice Sandil Kissoon who started at a base of 25 years but made some deductions as well as added 10 years for aggravating factors.

The judge deducted one third for the guilty plea and two years and 11 months for his constitutional entitlement (time served) as such, arriving at a total of 23 years and 7 months imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the period of his sentence.

Justice Kissoon said that in an effort to temper justice with mercy he considered that the accused was only 19 when the incident took place and it was indeed a tragedy but the court could not turn a blind eye to the fact that Owen Browne brutally lost his life.

The judge stated that Browne’s life was snuffed out by 21 stab wounds inflicted by the accused and the court recognised that the deceased had defensive wounds on his body.

According to the state, the accused Christopher Stanley on August 29, 2015 in the county of Demerara murdered Owen Browne called ‘Rastaman’.

After the indictment was presented the accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

The court however, accepted his guilty plea on Monday morning.

In presenting the facts, state prosecutor Mandel Moore told the court that on August 29, 2015 at Lot 910 Rose Mary Lane, South Cummingsburg called ‘Tiger Bay’ the accused was seen stabbing the deceased Owen Browne several times after which he fled the scene.

He was however, later apprehended.

Moore related that a post mortem examination revealed that the deceased had 21 stab wounds to the body and the cause of death was given as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple incised wounds.

The prosecutor added that at the time of the incident the accused was the only one armed with a weapon.

The accused in response to the facts presented by the State said: “He go fuh trouble me and I loose it.”

Meanwhile, in his plea of mitigation, defence attorney Maxwell McKay said the accused was deemed a model prisoner who had no priors and did not waste the courts’ time by his early plea.

He stated that his client was remorseful and intended to utilise the training activities offered in jail to become a skilled individual and also a better person.

The accused was only 19 years old when the incident happened and he was a neighbour to the deceased.

Stanley, 22, dropped out of school in form two and is semi-literate.

He however, when asked if he had anything to say before the court pass sentencing, Stanley apologised to the relatives of the deceased who was present in court on Monday.

In response, State prosecutor Mandel Moore told the court that the deceased received 21 stab wounds and a weapon was used to inflict the wounds and by his doing he had no other intention than to kill the deceased.

Sister of the deceased, Urtence Browne, after the sentencing on Monday told reporters that she was pleased with the sentence and had harboured ill feelings towards the accused but today she forgave him for what he did and she felt relieved that justice was served.

On the other hand, mother of the accused was observed crying before and after the sentencing and was in brief conversation with relatives of the deceased since they are all from the same community.