Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
14 cases completed in last session of Essequibo, Berbice Assizes
According to information released from the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), six and eight matters were disposed of at the October session of the Essequibo and Berbice Criminal Assizes respectively.
The High Court in Berbice
The Essequibo Criminal Assizes commenced on October 24, 2017 with Madame Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and State Prosecutor Tamika Clarke. Fifty nine matters were listed to be heard in this session.
However, only six of them were completed.
Over at the Berbice Criminal Assizes, State Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy prosecuted eight matters before Madam Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.
Of the six cases completed in the Essequibo Criminal Assizes, four of them were for the offence of murder and the other two cases for sexual offences.
In two of these four murder cases, the accused persons were all acquitted for the offences of murder and for the lesser offence of manslaughter. In one of these two cases, there were four accused indicted together.
In another one of these four matters the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 36 years imprisonment. However, the prisoner will serve five years since the trial judge made deductions on merciful grounds.
In the one other murder trial the accused was sentenced to 41 years imprisonment after the jury returned a majority verdict of 10 guilty to two not guilty for the lesser offence of manslaughter.
In one of the two sexual offence matters, the accused was sentenced to 25 years after the jury found him unanimously guilty of rape of a child under 16 years. And in the other case for the offence of sexual activity with a child family member, the complainant testified that she did not wish to proceed with her evidence.
As such, the trial judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.
The DPP nolle prosequi four matters for sexual offences. In two of these matters, the complainants gave written statement indicating they did not wish to proceed with their matters. The complainant in another one of the matters has since died. Another one of the complainants has migrated.
Of the eight matters completed in the Berbice Assizes, two were for the offence of attempt to commit murder with an alternative count of wounding with intent, four cases for the offence of murder, and another two matters, one each for the offences of rape of a child under 16 years and rape.
In one of the two cases for the offence of attempt to commit murder with the alternative count of wounding with intent, the accused pleaded guilty to the alternative count of wounding with intent and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In the other case, the accused was sentenced to nine years imprisonment after the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty for the alternative count.
In one of the four murder cases, the trial judge upheld a no case submission and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. In another one of these cases, the jury found the accused unanimously guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
One murder case was aborted because the jury forewoman was arrested and placed on remand for allegedly being involved in a criminal offence. The accused in one other trial was acquitted by the jury.
The accused in the matter of rape of a child under 16 years was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found unanimously guilty by the jury. The accused for the offence of rape was also found unanimously guilty by the jury and was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment.
The February Berbice Criminal Assizes will commence on February 13. Its October session continues before Madam Justice Jo-Ann Barlow. The Essequibo criminal Assizes is expected to open on February 6. In the meantime, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry continues the October Assizes.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Mental illness is real and a serious public health concern
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Mental illness is a reality we often acknowledge in passing but seldom confront with the... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
