Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 06, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – Eighteen cases were disposed of during the April session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes. This is according to statistics on the criminal session composed and released by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday.
The DPP Chambers noted that the session started on April 6, 2021 and came to an end on Monday, May 31, 202I.
According to the information, during the assizes, a total of 329 cases were listed to be heard.
However, Justice Brassington Reynolds and Justice Sandil Kissoon disposed of 18 matters. According to the release, the Office of the DPP presented 17 in the High Court of Demerara, while the other was nolle prosequi.
Of the 17 cases presented, 11 were for the offence of murder while six were for sexual offences. In the 17 cases, there were five guilty pleas, six convictions, four not guilty verdicts by jury and two formal verdicts of not guilty. The other matter was discarded of by the DPP.
State Counsel Tyra Bakker, Seeta Bishundial, Nafeeza Baig and Sarah Martin prosecuted eight matters before Justice Brassington Reynolds. Of those, two were for the offence of murder and six were sexual offence cases.
In one murder matter presented by Ms. Bakker and Ms. Bishundial, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In the other one, the jury found the accused guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter and he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
In the Sexual Offences Court, State Counsel Nafeeza Baig and Sarah Martin completed six cases. In three of the cases, the accused were acquitted, while the other three accused were all found unanimously guilty. Two of them were sentenced to 20 and 18 years imprisonment respectively; the other one awaits sentencing on the June 17, 2021.
Meanwhile, State Counsels Lisa Cave and Tyra Bakker presented nine cases for the offence of murder before Justice Sandil Kissoon. In one of these, the trial Judge upheld a no-case submission and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. In another, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty. In four other cases, the accused all pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
In two of those cases, one accused person had two separate trials; in the first trial, he was indicted for the offence of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve 30 years before being eligible for parole. In the other trial for which he was indicted for three crimes, murder, attempt to commit murder and discharging a loaded firearm with intent, he was again sentenced to life imprisonment on the first count for murder and 20 years each on the other two crimes. The 20-year sentences will run concurrently.
The other two accused before Justice Kissoon were sentenced respectively to life imprisonment and 15 years’ imprisonment for murder. The first accused was sentenced to life with eligibility for parole after serving 25 years. In another trial in which two accused were indicted jointly, the trial Judge upheld a no-case submission for the number one accused while the jury unanimously found his co-accused guilty of murder. He will be sentenced on June 9, 2O21. In another one trial, the accused who was indicted on three counts of murder was found unanimously guilty on all counts and will be sentenced on June 16. Another matter is pending.
Further, the release said that the DPP nolle prosequi one matter because the complainant in a written statement indicated she did not wish to proceed.
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