8 matters disposed of at Berbice, Essequibo Criminal Assizes

A total of eight matters were completed at the Berbice and Essequibo Criminal Assizes. The Berbice February 2022 Criminal Session commenced on February 1 at the High Court in Berbice with a total of 108 cases listed for trial.

Senior State Counsel Abigail Gibbs completed two matters before Justice Sandil Kissoon who had first sat for that county’s October 2021 Criminal Assizes, closed that Assizes, and then opened the February 2022 Criminal Assizes. The two matters completed at the February 2022 Criminal Session were for the offences of murder and murder in the furtherance of a robbery.
The one accused for the offence of murder pleaded guilty as charged, was sentenced to life in prison, and does not become eligible for parole until after serving 30 years. In the other case in which five accused persons were indicted together for the offence of murder in the furtherance of a robbery, the jury returned unanimous verdicts of guilty for all.
Two of them were sentenced to death, another two were sentenced to life imprisonment and will be eligible for parole after serving 35 years while the other was jailed for 17 years.

The Berbice February Criminal Session continues until June 20; State Counsel Nafeeza Baig has presented three matters so far. Of these, two were for the offence of murder and one for the offence of rape and kidnapping before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. In one of the murder cases, the accused was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment after the jury found him guilty on the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The other murder matter is in progress. The rape and kidnapping cases were nolle prosequi because the virtual complainants did not wish to testify.
Meanwhile, the Essequibo February 2022 Criminal Assizes commenced on the fifteenth day of that month with 79 cases listed to be heard. Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken completed six of them before Justice Jo Ann Barlow who had continued from the October 2021 Criminal Assizes.
Four of the six cases were for the offence of murder and one each for the offences of rape and attempt to commit murder. In two of these murder cases, the accused persons both pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and were respectively sentenced to 14 years’ and 10 years’ imprisonment. In another one, the jury found the accused unanimously guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter and he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
In one other case, the trial Judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. In the one case for the offence of attempt to commit murder, the accused pleaded guilty to the alternative count of felonious wounding and was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. The accused in the rape matter was acquitted by the jury.
Moreover, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) entered a nolle prosequi in a sexual offence case because the virtual complainant indicated in a written statement that she did not wish to proceed with the matter.
The Essequibo May 2022 Criminal Assizes commenced on May 17 before Justice Brassington Reynolds. Senior State Counsel Lyken has presented three matters; two for the offence of murder and one for the offence of rape of a child under 16 years.
This Criminal Assizes will continue until October.