Brian Haywood has been sentenced to serve 21 years in prison for killing his own sister and for injuring his niece, almost four years after the November 21, 2013 incident that occurred at Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
He pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, and the sentence was handed down by Justice James Bovell-Drakes at the High Court in Georgetown on Thursday.
Reports are that on that fateful day of November 21, 2013, Haywood accused
Deceased: Samantha Schwartz
Samantha Schwartz, his sibling, of stealing a pair of slippers from his shop. He then threw on his sister a flammable substance, said to be gasoline, and used his cigarette lighter to set the mother of four alight.
His niece Stephanie Felix, who was present during the time Haywood had attacked his sister, was also injured in the ordeal. Moments before he had lit Schwartz on fire, she had pleaded: “Uncle Bryan, don’t do that!”
He had fled the scene, but was captured by Police.
Schwartz, a Corentyne, East Berbice and Sophia, Greater Georgetown resident, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where she had remained a patient for several days before succumbing on December 7 of that year.
At one point during Thursday’s court proceedings, when Justice Bovell-Drakes was recapping the facts of the case prior to handing down sentence, Haywood blurted out: “Objection there, sir!” This angered the judge, who disallowed the admitted killer’s attempt at a tirade.
Earlier Thursday, a doctor testified that Haywood was medically fit to be sentenced. Police had observed Haywood confessing to the crime whilst in custody: “She thief me slippers, that’s why I do she that!” he had said.
The judge started the sentence at 65 years, and made subtractions of 44 years for mitigating factors, which took into account his guilty plea and time spent on remand.
Haywood directed remarks at the judge after his sentence was imposed, but his statements were unclear. He was originally indicted for the murder of Schwartz and for inflicting grievous bodily harm on his niece Stephanie.
Haywood was represented by attorney Mark Conway, while the State was represented by Prosecutors Mandell Moore and Orinthia Schmidt.
