TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD labourer Shaka Phillips, known as “Concrete Man,” of Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder of teacher and mother of three, Jenel Pollydore, who was shot during a wedding reception in Linden last year.
Phillips, who shared a young child with Pollydore, was sentenced on Wednesday by Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif at the Demerara High Court after pleading guilty to the murder in August.
Pollydore, 26, of Lower Kara Kara, Linden, was fatally shot on July 19, 2025, while attending a wedding reception at the R&R Hotel in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden.
Phillips, who is the father of Pollydore’s youngest child, confronted her at the reception after questioning her about failing to answer his telephone calls.
The confrontation escalated into an argument, during which Phillips produced a handgun and shot Pollydore.
According to the facts before the court, Pollydore attempted to escape by running towards the hotel’s pool area, but Phillips pursued her and fired additional shots before fleeing the scene.
Responding police officers found Pollydore motionless near the pool with gunshot wounds to the right side of her face and the back of her head.

Two spent 9mm shells were recovered at the scene, and Pollydore was taken to the Linden Hospital Complex, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Phillips was arrested the following day and subsequently charged with murder.
The court also heard that Pollydore had ended her relationship with Phillips and had previously obtained a protection order against him following incidents of domestic abuse. Despite the order, Phillips continued to violate it by stalking and pursuing Pollydore and her family.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Phillips told the court that he knew he was wrong for what he had done and apologised for Pollydore’s death.
“I know I am wrong for what I have done. I’m just really sorry for what happened. I just want to ask the court for mercy,” he said.
The killer also told the court that he had planned to spend the rest of his life with Pollydore.
He was represented by attorney-at-law Tonza Sarrabo, while attorneys Aleria Heywood and Nelissa Peterkin represented the prosecution.
Pollydore’s stepmother, Madonna Pollydore, told the court that her death had affected her tremendously.
She described Jenel as her closest friend and said that every passing day without her remained painful. She said the family continued to visit Jenel’s burial site.
Madonna also expressed the view that the situation might have been different if police action had been taken against Phillips for violating the protection order. She told the court that Phillips did not deserve to be in society and should remain imprisoned for the rest of his life.
Jenel’s father, Glen Pollydore, said his daughter’s death had caused him immense pain.
He described her as his first child and a loving person who was devoted to her family.
He also spoke of the difficulty of one day having to explain to Jenel’s son that his father had killed his mother. Glen pleaded with the court to impose the maximum penalty.
In her sentencing remarks, Justice Chandra-Hanif outlined the circumstances surrounding Pollydore’s killing and said the court had considered the agreed facts, the sentencing submissions from both the prosecution and defence, the probation report and the victim-impact statements.
The judge noted that the relationship between Pollydore and Phillips had been marked by physical abuse.
Justice Chandra-Hanif also pointed to CCTV footage, which she said provided compelling evidence that Phillips continued to pursue Pollydore after shooting her the first time.
She also identified the domestic context of the killing as an aggravating circumstance, particularly because the relationship had been marked by physical abuse and Pollydore had sought the protection of the court.
The judge said the murder was made more serious by the use of a firearm and the fact that Phillips continued pursuing Pollydore after she attempted to escape.
She also referred to the medical findings concerning the fatal injuries and said the circumstances demonstrated the violent nature of the killing. In assessing the sentence, Justice Chandra-Hanif said the court was guided by the need for denunciation, deterrence and rehabilitation.
She stressed that a sentence must reflect the seriousness of the offending while remaining fair and proportionate.
The judge said, “The sentence must be severe enough to reflect the gravity of the taking of life, but must nevertheless be just, individualised and proportionate.”

She also noted that the murder occurred within the context of an intimate relationship and against a background in which Pollydore had sought protection from Phillips.
The judge said the court had considered Pollydore’s family’s victim-impact statements, describing them as important evidence of the profound effect the murder had on them.
Justice Chandra-Hanif said the sentence also had to communicate that violence could never be justified by jealousy, possessiveness or attempts to control another person.
She stated that violent conduct within intimate relationships, particularly where it culminates in death, requires a sentence that clearly denounces such behaviour.
The judge adopted 30 years as the starting point, finding that the combination of factors placed the murder at a “very high level of objective seriousness.”
Despite the seriousness of the offence, the judge also considered Phillips’ personal circumstances and his guilty plea. Justice Chandra-Hanif noted that Phillips had pleaded guilty to the murder, thereby avoiding the need for a contested trial and sparing witnesses and the family the burden of giving evidence.
The court also considered his youthful age, upbringing, family circumstances and prospects for rehabilitation. The judge said Phillips had expressed remorse and had asked the court for mercy.
However, she made clear that his personal circumstances, and youth could not diminish the gravity of the murder. Justice Chandra-Hanif therefore deducted two years for mitigating factors from the 30-year starting point, reducing the sentence to 28 years.
She then applied a one-quarter discount for his early guilty plea, amounting to a seven-year reduction. That brought the final sentence to 21 years in prison.
The judge further ordered that the time Phillips has already spent in custody on remand be deducted from the 21-year sentence. Phillips will therefore receive credit for the period he has already spent in custody since his arrest and remand in connection with Pollydore’s murder.
The judge also ordered Phillips to undergo psychological counselling and participate in academic and vocational programmes to support his rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into society.