22-year-old who killed farmer during teen years released from prison

A 22-year-old man who had stabbed a farmer to death when he was 17 has been released from custody after completing a sentence of two years and eight months.
Although the offender is now an adult, he cannot be named, since he was charged back in 2016 in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act, which prohibits the publication of the name of a minor, or any other information related to a minor accused of a crime.
This man was initially indicted for the capital offence of murder when he appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the High Court in Demerara on March 15.
Upon his arraignment, he however pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, thereby admitting that on November 23, 2016, at Ela Landing in the North West District, he unlawfully killed Junior Moses of Barima, North West District.
The offender was represented by Attorney-at-Law Jerome Khan, while Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave presented the prosecution’s case.
It was reported that on the day in question, at about 18:40h, the teenager and the man were engaged in a heated argument, during which the teenager armed himself with a knife and stabbed the man in the region of his stomach.

After committing the act, he reportedly fled the scene, but was later apprehended by the Police.
The injured man was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mabaruma Hospital.
A sentencing hearing for the offender was held on Tuesday. After considering a probation report in favour of the offender, an impact statement from the dead man’s relatives, and addresses from the defence and prosecution, Justice Morris-Ramlall sentenced the offender to two years and eight months in custody, less the time he has already spent in pre-trial detention.
The offender had been in custody for approximately five years and four months. As such, his sentence has been fully satisfied by the time he spent in pre-trial detention. He has therefore been released from custody.
Section 44 (c) of the Juvenile Justice Act, which deals with sentences for offences, stipulates that a judicial officer shall commit the juvenile to custody in an open or secure residential facility provided for under the Act for a period not exceeding five years from the date of the coming into force of the order.
It was further ordered that the offender be placed on probation and supervision for two years, during which time he shall keep the peace, be of good behaviour, and report to the Chief Probation Officer on or before the last Monday of each month.
The court further ordered that the offender must notify the Chief Probation Officer of any change of address or any change in his place of employment, and remain in Guyana, unless he gets permission from the court to leave the jurisdiction.
The offender was also ordered to perform community service at Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) for two hours weekly for six months, or at a place or institution directed by the Chief Probation Officer.
And finally, the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency has been instructed to issue a positive peer association directive, requiring the offender to be associated for a specified period with a specified person whom the Director has reason to believe can contribute to the offender’s positive behaviour. (G1)