Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
11 years for man who killed father-in-law with bow and arrow
An accused murderer yesterday pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court. He was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for the killing.
Alvin Gounga
Thirty-three year-old Alvin Gounga was charged for the May 14, 2005 murder of Desmond Henry at Five Star Backdam, Port Kaituma North West District. The facts of the case were that Gounga shot Henry (his father- in -law) to death using a bow and arrow, following an argument over stolen gold.
On the day of the incident, Gounga called “Orvin” or “Captain” was quarrelling with his wife over the missing pieces of gold when his wife’s father (Henry) attacked him with an axe and a pitchfork.
Gounga said that at first the man advanced towards him with the pitchfork and after he failed to injure him, he picked up an axe.
Gounga had said that it was then he reached for a bow and arrow and shot at the man.
He was arrested shortly after the incident. He has therefore been incarcerated for the murder since 2005. The man had faced an initial trial for the killing before Justice Roxane George but the matter ended in a hung jury.
Consequently, Gounga was scheduled to face a retrial before Justice Singh, but he opted to plead to the lesser offence. He was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Dexter Todd. In his submission, Todd noted the accused was 22 years old at the time of the incident. The attorney noted too that his client had no brushes with the law, prior to the incident.
“He was well known in his community and had one child… Unfortunately that child died while my client was on remand for the said murder,” Todd explained.
Additionally, the attorney said that his client has expressed remorse over the incident. He said too that the victim would have played an equal part in the incident which resulted in his own demise.
Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy and Siand Dhurjon represented the state‘s case. Hardy asked the court to consider that a life was lost; the deceased was only 43 years old at the time of the incident.
The Prosecutor asked the court to hand down a sentence that would be in line with the act committed.
Before the sentence could be handed down, Gounga told the court that he was sorry for what happened.
In response, Justice Singh said that after reviewing the deposition contained in the file, it would appear that the victim (Henry) might have contributed to his own death. He then sentenced Gounga to serve 11 years in prison. The judge noted that the time spent on remand will be deducted from the sentence by the Guyana Prison Service.
Gounga will likely be eligble for parole within a year.
The Judge wished the man “good luck,” before releasing him to serve the sentence.
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