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Paradise man jailed 35 years for killing GPHC dispatcher
(Kaieteur News) – Sixty-six-year-old Alan Sim formerly of Paradise, East Coast Demerara was on Thursday sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment for the 2015 murder of his former partner, Melissa Skeete.
Sim was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court. Skeete, a 32-year-old dispatcher attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) was stabbed several times about her body on 23rd November, 2015. Sim had showed up at the woman’s workplace in his motorcar and picked her up. He later stabbed her several times. Skeete died while receiving treatment at the GPHC.
Murdered, Melissa Skeete
In 2020, a mixed 12-member jury that found him guilty of the offence and he was sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh. However, that conviction was vacated by the Court of Appeal and a retrial was ordered. At the beginning of the retrial, Sim entered a plea of not guilty to murdering Skeete but was later found guilty by a jury of his peers.
Alan Sim sentenced to 35 years for 2015 murder of his girlfriend
In his address at the sentencing hearing, Sim expressed no remorse but pleaded with the court to have mercy on him – pointing to a series of medical illnesses. “I’m in a sickly position sir and I’m begging for your mercy on me, have mercy on me here today,” Sim said. He told the court that he has a swollen prostate; he had surgery for both of his eyes, and an issue with his left foot. Sim added that due to his medical illnesses, other inmates have to assist him to go to the toilet and sometimes he has to dry wipe himself in bed.
In his sentencing remarks, Justice Kissoon noted that Skeete was “viciously and violently” murdered by her former intimate partner.
He labelled Sim’s actions as callous and calculated, noting that the act was carried out in the light of day, stabbing Skeete several times whilst she was seated in his car. The judge noted that based on the evidence presented to the court, Sim in his premeditated, murderous rage, brought an end to the life of a young mother who endured a cycle of violence and abuse at his hands.
The first aggravating factor Justice Kissoon highlighted is the prevalence of intimate partner violence in society. “This abhorrent crime is yet another case of intimate partner and domestic violence, which continues to reach prevalent and unchecked across our communities, our society, and every county of our country,” the judge noted.
The second factor he pointed to was the degree of planning and premeditation by Sim. A few nights before Skeete was killed, Sim visited the woman’s home and threatened to end her life, or end the life of those closest to her. Justice Kissoon noted the threat had triggered a police report, ultimately to no avail, as a few days later Sim then executed his plan after picking Skeete up from her workplace.
Around 15:00 hours on 23rd November, 2015, Sim went to Skeete’s workplace and at her request, one of her colleagues accompanied her to Sim’s car and observed her enter the front left passenger seat of the vehicle.
The court was told that a few minutes after Sim departed with Skeete from GPHC’s New Market Street entrance, the woman was observed running down Carmichael Street, covered in blood, before collapsing in the vicinity of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Center.
According to the evidence in court, Sim inflicted eight incised wounds before stabbing Skeete to the chest and perforating her lungs causing it to collapse. The judge pointed to the use of a deadly weapon as another aggravating factor. He further outlined the depth of the fatal injuries and that Skeete had defensive injuries on her hands.
Justice Kissoon noted that there are no mitigating factors. Sim was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment. The judge ordered that the time he spent on remand since 30th October, 2015 be considered the official start date of the 35 years sentence.
It was further ordered that Sim serve a minimum term of 30 years before he be considered eligible for parole. Justice Kissoon also ordered counselling and that Sim attend classes for persons who are convicted of intimate partner killing.
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