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28 years jail for youth who killed man during break-in
From left: JAILED: Ryan Jones and Purand Baljit
Twenty two-year-old Ryan Jones was jailed yesterday for 28 years, after he pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge during his appearance before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown.
Jones, also known as, Rayon Jones, was initially charged with the murder of 24-year-old mechanic Purand Baljit, who was killed on June 9, 2016, during a robbery at his Madewini, Timehri home.
The murder accused opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter after seeking advice from his Attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay.
According to State Prosecutor Mandel Moore, on the night of June 9, 2016, Jones broke into the dwelling house of Baljit, via a window, which was left opened. He stole items. Baljit who was sleeping was awakened and confronted Jones, who stabbed him 10 times with a knife.
The injured man was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to the prosecutor, Jones, formerly of Fourth Avenue, Bartica, was captured a few days later while on the Georgetown seawalls by then Police Detective Derwin Eastman. Jones was in the company of a female companion.
The prosecutor told the court that Jones gave police a detailed caution statement admitting to the crime. He even took police to an abandoned house where the murder weapon was recovered.
While there, police ranks also found Baljit’s laptop and cellular phone. It was revealed by Justice Kissoon that Jones sold the items valued hundreds of thousands of dollars for $5,000.
During a plea of mitigation, Attorney-at-law, Maxwell McKay told the court that apart from being charged for escaping from police custody, his client was never charged with any other offence.
The lawyer highlighted that his client took the first opportunity to plead guilty to the crime, and prevented the court from having to conduct a trial.
When given a chance to speak, Jones stated, “I feel like I have no life. In life, you have to speak the truth and the truth will set you free. I am so sorry for how things happened. I am begging you (the judge) for a chance to go back into society. I have one life to live and one judgment to face.”
In arriving at a sentence for Jones, Justice Kissoon started at a base of 25 years. He made deductions after considering Jones’s early guilty plea, the time he spent on remand pending trial, among other things.
The Judge ended up at a sentence of 14 years and five months. To this total, the judge added 13 years and seven months after considering the aggravating factors and the brutality of the crime.
Jones stands no possibility of being released on parole.
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