Man who killed GTM executive over sexual act appeals “excessive” sentence

Jan 03, 2019 News

Admitting in a caution statement that he fatally stabbed Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life (GTM) Insurance executive, Bert Whyte, who performed oral sex on him, Clive Knights, has filed an appeal against a 57-year sentence imposed on him by High Court Judge Navindra Singh for murder.

CONVICTED: Clive Knights

In June 2015, a 12-member mixed jury returned a unanimous verdict for the offence.
According to the State Prosecutor then, on May 14, 2012, Whyte, 44, a resident of lot 79, Phoenix Park, West Bank Demerara, dropped his niece, Rayshawn, off at school before leaving for work.
Later that evening, Whyte’s brother received a telephone call from a friend. As a result, he went to the Accident and Emergency, (A&E) Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC). Whyte was found lying motionless on the bed. He appeared to be dead. There were two puncture wounds to his chest and apparent blood stains on his clothing.
The Prosecutor said that the police later launched an investigation into the death of Whyte, and issued a wanted bulletin for Knights. Searches began also for Whyte‘s car, which was missing. The vehicle was tracked down and found in Stanleytown, Berbice.
The car with licence plate number PKK, 6586 appeared to be locked and abandoned. The car had number plates PJJ 7701 while PKK 6586 was marked on the mirrors, windows and lights. Knights was arrested at a roadblock along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. At the road block, it is reported that the convict gave his names as Troy David.
In his Notice of Appeal, Knights said that he will be adding more grounds when the appeal comes up for hearing on January 14. During the trial before Justice Singh, a caution statement was admitted into evidence.
Initially, Knights’ sentence was 60 years. However, the judge deducted three years for the time he spent in pretrial custody.
Knights’ statement was read aloud to the court by Detective Constable, Kester Cosbert. In the document, Knights said that he met Whyte while they were both employed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
According to the statement, Whyte had revealed to him that he was a homosexual and expressed a desire to be in a relationship with him.

MURDERED: Bert Whyte

However, Knights declined the offer but decided to remain friends with the victim, since he believed that his way of life had nothing to do with him.
The statement outlined that some time later, both men left their job at the hospital but they continued to hang out. The convict in his statement related that on the day of the incident, he went to a Main Street bar with Whyte and they had a few beers.
In the statement, Knights said that he was tired, intoxicated and must have fallen asleep. According to the statement, the accused said that he remembered going to Whyte’s car but he came to by himself, after he felt someone’s finger at his anus. Knights said that he opened his eyes and found Whyte’s head between his legs; he was performing oral sex on him.
The convict, according to the statement, said that he had an ice pick, which he said he used to stab Whyte before driving away with his car. He had however related to investigators that he was sorry for what happened since the Whyte was his friend.

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