Convict appeals 15-year sentence over killing of drinking buddy

A 34-year-old father of four who is serving a 15-year prison term for killing his drinking buddy has approached the Guyana Court of Appeal in a bid to have his sentence reduced. In April, Eustace Abrams was indicted for the June 15, 2017 murder of 40-year-old Orlando La Cruz.
He, however, opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. Given his guilty plea, Abrams in a Notice of Appeal is contending that the sentence imposed on him is excessive. The sentence was handed down by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Demerara.
It was reported that on the day in question at Jack and Vieira Backdam, North West District (NWD), La Cruz was lying in a hammock at his mining camp when Abrams and another man, Joseph Kerr, visited. They began consuming alcohol. It was reported that shortly after, Kerr asked the now dead man to perform oral sex on him.
However, when he refused, they got into an argument during which Abrams gave Kerr the cartridge to load a shotgun. Kerr shot La Cruz to the neck after which he and Abrams made good their escape. La Cruz was later discovered in the hammock bleeding.
He was rushed to the Matthews Ridge District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
After four years on the run, Kerr was arrested and charged with La Cruz’s murder in May. Following a court appearance, he was remanded to prison. (G1)