Home News 2019 killing of Sherwin Shafeek: “We did not premeditate to kill ...
…jailed for 15 years each
In a sentencing hearing at the Georgetown High Court on Tuesday, Justice Navindra Singh handed down prison terms to Attish Singh, called “Demon,” and Anil Basdeo, known as “Alan,” for their roles in the 2019 killing of Sherwin Shafeek, also known as “Coolie Boy.” 
The two men had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter after being initially charged with murder.
During the sentencing hearing, both defendants addressed the court to express their remorse. Basdeo stated, “I am really sorry of how it happened, we did not premeditate to kill him. I am begging for a second chance, sir”. While Singh said, “I am very sorry, it was not no planned nothing. It’s a mistake I am begging you for mercy, sir,”.
The prosecution, led by Tanisha Saygoon and Christopher Belfield, emphasised the aggravating factors in the case. Saygoon detailed how Basdeo struck Shafeek multiple times with a wooden object, while Singh attempted to stab him, an attack that was only stopped by the victim’s girlfriend. She stressed that the act was unprovoked, as Shafeek posed no threat to the two men.
Additionally, Saygoon pointed out that despite their courtroom apologies, neither Singh nor Basdeo had expressed genuine remorse. She noted that during a probation interview, Basdeo attempted to claim self-defence, contradicting his prior acceptance of the agreed facts of the case.
The two accused were represented by Attorney-at-Law Ronald Bostwick, who pleaded for sentencing leniency, citing their guilty pleas and other mitigating factors.
Resorting to violence
Justice Singh, however, was critical of the defendants’ actions, stating that they had alternative options instead of resorting to violence. He began with a base sentence of 25 years, applying standard deductions for their guilty pleas before arriving at their final sentences.
He stated that the probation reports may have been favourable, but none of them showed any real remorse. he emphasised that both individuals had knowingly involved themselves in the altercation. He stated that they barged into the house before questioning their actions, they should not have hit him three times.
The incident occurred on the night of March 22, 2019, when Shafeek was returning home from a birthday party in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE). Witnesses reported that Basdeo repeatedly struck Shafeek on the head and back with a piece of wood, while Singh attempted to stab him. Shafeek collapsed, bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
Despite complaining of severe head pain and vomiting blood throughout the night, he was not taken to the hospital until the following morning. By then, his condition had deteriorated significantly, and he succumbed to his injuries at the Leonora Cottage Hospital. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that he suffered multiple skull fractures and died from cerebral hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma.
Police had charged Singh and Basdeo with murder after their arrest on March 23, 2019. They were formally indicted on March 30, 2022, and after a preliminary inquiry, were committed to stand trial in the High Court.
At the time of the killing, reports suggested that the attack stemmed from an altercation between Shafeek and his common-law wife. The couple had attended a nearby birthday party, where Shafeek accused his partner of infidelity. This escalated into a heated argument at their home, prompting screams that drew the attention of Singh and Basdeo.
According to police reports from 2019, the two men rushed into Shafeek’s home and attacked him with a piece of wood, leaving him critically injured on the floor, bleeding profusely. His wife, unable to afford transportation to the hospital that night, only managed to take him for medical attention the following morning.
Police tracked down and apprehended Singh and Basdeo in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), days after the attack.
