Berbice man gets 7½ years for manslaughter in death of “Mice”

Twenty-five-year-old Trevor Rajmangal, known as “Two Star”, was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for the killing of 36-year-old Mohamed Abdul Ali, called “Mice”, following a drunken altercation at a West Canefield shop in March 2023.

The sentence was handed down at the Berbice High Court by Justice Peter Hugh, just one week after Rajmangal entered a guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter, admitting responsibility for Ali’s death.
Rajmangal, who was initially indicted for murder, pleaded not guilty to that charge but accepted culpability for manslaughter. His case was prosecuted by State Counsel Cecilia Corbin, while Kevin Morgan of the Legal Aid Clinic appeared in his defence.
Justice Hugh started the sentence at 15 years’ imprisonment, in keeping with the sentencing guidelines. He then deducted one-third (five years) for the early guilty plea, which spared the court a lengthy trial. A further year and six months was taken off for the time Rajmangal had already spent in pre-trial custody, and another year for the remorse he expressed and his cooperation with investigators. This left the final custodial sentence at seven years and six months.
According to the statement of facts, the incident occurred between March 18 and 19, 2023. Rajmangal, then 22, had been drinking and playing pool with friends at a shop on Bissessar Street, West Canefield.

However, at about 09:30h on March 18, Ali entered the premises. A heated verbal altercation erupted and continued outside the shop. At one point, Rajmangal shoved a pool stick through the grill of the shop in an attempt to strike Ali before running outside armed with a Vita Malt bottle.
As Ali tried to scale the gate of an abandoned lot nearby, Rajmangal threw the bottle at him. It struck Ali, who fell to the ground. The following morning, Ali’s body was discovered lying on the parapet. A post-mortem conducted by government pathologist Dr Bridgemohan revealed that he died from shock and haemorrhage caused by a fractured skull and a broken cervical spine.

Unarmed and defenceless
Rajmangal was arrested on March 21, 2023. During a video-recorded Police interview, he admitted to throwing the bottle and later demonstrated how the events unfolded.
The prosecution, led by Corbin, argued that the deceased was unarmed and defenceless at the time of the attack. The fact that he was attempting to flee when struck made the act particularly grave. The State also pointed to the continuing grief of Ali’s family, especially his sister, who discovered his body, and stressed the need for deterrence in light of rising violent altercations in society.

Leniency
The defence, through Morgan, urged the court to consider that Rajmangal had no prior criminal record and was of previously good character. Family members and community residents described him as hard-working, respectful, and peaceful. Morgan stressed that the incident was isolated, not premeditated, and stemmed from provocation by the deceased, who had allegedly directed indecent language at Rajmangal before the confrontation.
A probation report presented to the court by Senior Probation Officer Judith Fullerton provided further insight. Rajmangal, a carpenter and mason from West Canefield, was the youngest of five children and grew up in a stable Hindu household. He dropped out of school at Form Three due to financial struggles but apprenticed as a carpenter and later supported himself through freelance work.
His father and brothers described him as hard-working and law-abiding, while Police and prison checks confirmed he had no prior charges. The probation officer noted his expressions of remorse and his plea for leniency.

Still traumatised
Ali, by contrast, was remembered by relatives as helpful and peaceful, though community members noted he struggled with alcohol and marijuana use. His family has been left devastated, with his sister and other relatives stating they are still traumatised by the manner of his death.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Hugh said the court was required to strike a balance between punishment, deterrence, and the possibility of rehabilitation. He noted that while the offence was serious and led to the needless loss of a life, Rajmangal’s youth, early plea, remorse, and lack of prior convictions weighed in his favour.
Rajmangal will continue serving his time in prison, with the opportunity to benefit from rehabilitative programmes, including anger management and skills training offered by the Guyana Prison Service.