Two manslaughter convicts are scheduled to be sentenced today at the Demerara High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon.
Manslaughter convicts: Timothy Paul Chance (right) and Andre Benjamin
Timothy Paul Chance and Andre Benjamin, both 21 years old, though initially indicted for the capital offence of murder, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter mid-way through their trial, changing their not-guilty plea to guilty.
They admitted that on May 12, 2016, at Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, they unlawfully killed 75-year-old Professor Pariedeau Mars during the course/furtherance of a robbery.
Upon the direction of the trial Judge, the mixed 12-member jury, therefore, returned guilty verdicts in respect of both men for the lesser offence. The duo will be sentenced after probation and psychological reports on them and a victim impact statement are presented to the court.
Dead: Pariedeau Mars
Back in 2019, 21-year-old Naomi Adams, 23-year-old Nikisha Dover, and 22-year-old Orin McRae, who had been jointly charged, along with Benjamin and Chance, also confessed to killing the elderly man. Initially indicted for the capital offence of murder, they, too, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when they appeared before Justice Navindra Singh.
Adams, being the first to confess to the crime, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, while her co-accused, Dover and McRae, were each jailed for 12 years. It was ordered that the prison authorities deduct the years each of them spent in pre-trial custody from their sentence.
It was reported that Mars, also known as “Perry”, of Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, was found bound and beaten in his home about 18:30h on May 12, 2016, by his wife upon her return from Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). He was subsequently rushed to a private city hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigations revealed that Dover was known to the now-dead professor as she would frequently visit his home.
She conspired with the others to rob the elderly man who was at home alone. An iPhone, cash, laptop, and gaming console were among the items stolen from Mars’s home. (G2)
