‘Smallie’ sentenced to death for murder of GDF Corporal

Sep 02, 2022 Court Stories, News

Kaieteur News- Mark Royden Williams, popularly known as ‘Smallie’ who is already on death row for the massacre in Bartica, Region Seven, was on Thursday sentenced to death for the 2008 murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) member, Corporal Ivor Williams.

The sentence was handed down by Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Demerara High Court. The State was represented by Prosecutors, Taneisha Saygon, and Muntaz Ali, while Williams was represented by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes in association with others.

On death-row, Mark Royden Williams

Mark Williams had denied fatally shooting the corporal on the night of January 23, 2008, during an armed confrontation between members of the GDF and gunmen at Buxton, East Coast Demerara. Following a trial, a 12-member Jury returned with a guilty verdict for Williams.

On Thursday, before handing down the sentence, Justice Kissoon described the crime as ‘brutal’ and stated that it was a premeditated crime to ambush and entrap members of the disciplined forces who were deployed to restore peace at Buxton. Justice Kissoon cited the automatic weapons (AK-47) that were used by Williams and his accomplices to ambush the ranks, and noted that the premeditated act was designed to murder and create mayhem.

“A crime without mitigating factors… which places it in the worse of the worse,” the judge said, while adding, “Corporal Williams was murdered for no other reason than the fact that he was a member of the disciplined forces and what he stands for.”

Justice Kissoon also highlighted the action of a member of the Bar Association, who committed perjury to aid his former client’s case. The Judge also saluted the brave young soldier who died in the execution of his duty. Justice Kissoon then noted that mitigating factors could not outweigh the extreme gravity of the crime Williams committed and as such, he said the crime demands a commensurate sentence.

“Mark Royden Williams, I sentence you to death,” Justice Kissoon concluded. Kaieteur News had reported that in April 2021, a jury found Williams not guilty of a double murder, which occurred in December 2007 at Triumph, ECD. Michael Caesar, called “Capone”, was in fact sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter for the said double murder.

In February 2019, Williams and Sherwin Nero, also known as ‘Catty’, were found not guilty of the August 30, 2007 murder of businessman, Kumar Singh called “Mango Man”.

In May 2018, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) restored the 2013 acquittals of Williams and James Anthony Hyles for their alleged involvement in what has been dubbed the ‘Lusignan Massacre’, despite substantial procedural errors at trial.

In 2017, a jury found Williams and Dennis “Anaconda” Williams guilty for the 2008 Bartica Massacre, which left 12 persons, including three policemen dead. The men were sentenced to death for that crime. However, they filed an appeal against the conviction and sentence – the case is yet to come up for hearing at the Guyana Court of Appeal.

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