DESPITE pleading for mercy and citing a series of health challenges, including an enlarged prostate and other ailments, 66-year-old murder convict Allan Sim, called “Cayenne” and “Shortman,” was on Thursday sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment for the 2015 murder of his former partner, Melissa Skeete.

Before sentencing, Sim appealed to the court for leniency, highlighting his medical conditions and declining health.

The sentence was imposed by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court following Sim’s conviction by a 12-member jury at a retrial ordered by the Court of Appeal of Guyana.

Justice Kissoon further ordered that Sim must serve at least 30 years of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The convict was, however, granted credit for time spent on remand dating back to October 13, 2015, when he was first taken into custody for the crime.

Sim was represented by attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat, while State Counsel Cicelia Corbin appeared for the prosecution.

Before sentencing, Sim addressed the court but did not express remorse for the killing.

Instead, he spoke about his declining health, telling the court that he suffers from a swollen prostate, had undergone surgery on one of his eyes, and was generally in poor health.

He pleaded with the judge for mercy.

In handing down sentence, Justice Kissoon described the matter as yet another tragic case of intimate partner violence and noted that the mother of four had endured a cycle of abuse at the hands of Sim.

The judge said the evidence established that Skeete was “viciously and callously” murdered by her former intimate partner and that Sim ultimately carried out threats he had made against her prior to the killing.

According to Justice Kissoon, evidence presented during the trial revealed that Sim had threatened to kill Skeete at her Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residence in the presence of her son. He had also threatened to harm those closest to her if he could not have her.

The judge said those threats were not idle remarks but formed part of a pattern of abuse and control that culminated in Skeete’s death.

Justice Kissoon further noted that the murder was marked by a significant degree of planning and premeditation, an aggravating factor that weighed heavily against the convict.

He also pointed to the brutality of the attack, citing medical evidence presented during the trial.

According to the judge, a post-mortem examination revealed that Skeete sustained eight incised wounds about her body, including injuries to her chest. One of the wounds penetrated her lung. The examination also revealed defensive injuries to her hands, indicating that she attempted to protect herself during the attack.

Justice Kissoon noted that the weapon used to inflict the injuries would have had to be at least 14 centimetres in length.

The judge said the injuries reflected the ferocity of the assault and underscored the seriousness of the offence.

He further observed that Sim remained unremorseful for his criminal conduct despite the devastating impact the murder had on Skeete’s family and loved ones.

Justice Kissoon said the killing was a grave offence that produced far-reaching consequences for those left behind and for society as a whole.

After considering the circumstances of the offence, the court adopted a starting-point sentence of 35 years’ imprisonment.

The judge found no mitigating factors capable of outweighing the aggravating circumstances of the case and therefore made no deductions from the sentence. As a result, the 35-year sentence remained intact.

The sentence follows a retrial after Sim’s earlier conviction and sentence were overturned on appeal.

In 2020, Sim had been sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment, with eligibility for parole after serving 40 years, for the murder of the 31-year-old former Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) ambulance dispatcher.

That conviction arose from a trial before then Justice Navindra Singh, where a 12-member jury found him guilty of murdering Skeete on November 23, 2015.

Sim subsequently appealed both his conviction and sentence. The Court of Appeal later quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial, which culminated in his latest conviction.

According to reports, Sim and Skeete shared two children and had been involved in an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade.

On the day of the murder, Sim reportedly picked Skeete up from work at about 15:00 hrs. She was stabbed multiple times before being thrown from Sim’s car onto a city street, where she was left bleeding heavily from her injuries.

Approximately 30 minutes later, she was found on Carmichael Street suffering from multiple stab wounds and bleeding heavily.

She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Investigators subsequently arrested Sim, who reportedly admitted committing the offence while under caution. His vehicle was later discovered abandoned, and investigators found that the passenger seat had been refurbished.

Police records show that Sim surrendered to ranks at the Alberttown Police Station on November 25, 2015, after reports linked him to Skeete’s death.

Family members had previously alleged that Sim was controlling and abusive throughout his relationship with Skeete, allegations that formed part of the broader context considered during the proceedings.