Sophia man gets life sentence for killing girlfriend in her sleep

Dec 06, 2025 News

(Kaieteur News) – A 25-year-old man, who brutally killed his girlfriend in 2023, was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment.

The ruling was handed down at the Demerara High Court by Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif.

The accused, Linden Benjamin of Sophia, pleaded guilty to stabbing 31-year-old Lisa George 25 times as she slept beside her two children. The attack occurred on April 26, 2023 at Lot 604 C Field, Sophia, where George lived with her children.

Sophia man gets life sentence for killing girlfriend in her sleep

Linden Benjamin: sentenced to life in prison

Benjamin pleaded guilty on September 16 and returned to court for sentencing on Friday.

During the sentencing, state prosecutors Darin Chan and Latifa Elliot outlined several aggravating factors, stressing the sheer brutality of the attack, particularly the twenty-five stab wounds delivered while the victim lay defenseless. They noted that “a dangerous and deadly weapon was used in the commission of the offence, to wit, a knife.”

The prosecution highlighted Benjamin’s betrayal of trust, the presence of George’s young children during the killing, and the severe trauma inflicted on the family. Chan also underscored the broader issue of intimate-partner violence, stating, “Too frequently these incidents are happening; we have a duty to protect women in society.”

He urged the court to impose a life sentence, stressing that the exceptional nature of the case warranted the harshest penalty. According to Chan, Benjamin showed absolutely no remorse.

“Your Honour, justice must speak loudly today. It must reach every home, every community, and every man who believes that a woman’s life is his to threaten, his to injure, or his to take,” he said. “This sentence must say to all men that the women of this country are entitled to safety, dignity, and life, and that the courts will protect that right without hesitation.”

Benjamin’s attorney, Buelah Williams, pleaded for a lesser sentence, noting the emotional impact on his mother and arguing that one of the main purposes of imprisonment is offering an opportunity for betterment and rehabilitation.

However, in delivering her ruling, Justice Chandra-Hanif said she found it alarming that Benjamin showed no genuine remorse for his actions. After weighing both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, she accepted the State’s submissions and imposed a life sentence, with eligibility for parole only after 30 years, minus time already spent on remand.

“It was persistent and merciless. He should have walked away… There is no remorse; he needs to be held accountable for his actions,” the judge stated.

Several family members of the deceased delivered emotional testimonies. George’s sister, Lauren George, said, “Lisa was my rock. She did not deserve to die like that. I hope he spends life in prison.”

Her teenage son, who witnessed the attack, told the court, “My mother was very loving and caring. I was in shock and fearful for my life. The incident keeps replaying in my head. When it comes to Christmas and birthdays, there is always an empty space in my heart.”

Statements from George’s parents were also read in court, expressing similar grief. Throughout the proceedings, family members wept openly as they relived the painful events.

Benjamin later addressed the court for the first time, offering a statement in which he claimed he had been “taken advantage of.” Showing no visible remorse, he said, “I wasn’t a good citizen. I wouldn’t disrespect her or her relatives. I used to be taken advantage of; I used to get beat. I never take anything to beat or hurt her. I apologize.”

The prosecution’s case outlined that on April 26, the night of the killing, George was at home with Benjamin and her two children. At some point, Benjamin demanded that she “open her phone,” to which she refused. She later went to bed with her children, and Benjamin joined them shortly after.

“In the stillness of the early morning hours, sometime between 2:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., the convict armed himself with two knives… and launched a brutal and unprovoked attack upon the deceased while she lay asleep in her bed in a defenseless state,” the court heard.

Benjamin stabbed George 25 times across various parts of her body. According to the prosecution, he then made no effort to get help and attempted to leave the bedroom, but was stopped by George’s father, Colin George. He was subsequently arrested and charged with the capital offence.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

girlfriend, killing, Life sentence, Linden Benjamin, Sophia

Latest News