A man convicted of attempted murder has had his jail sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal.
Hansel Andre Lewis, also called “Smiley”, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was found guilty of attempted murder in 2016 over the New Year’s Day 2013 stabbing of another man.
Convicted: Hansel Andre Lewis
Lewis, 43, was unanimously found guilty of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Chris Burrowes, called “Bully”, with intent to murder him.
Following his conviction, Lewis, who was initially jailed for 13 years by the trial Judge, mounted an appeal against his conviction and sentence, through Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus.
Lewis in his appeal had advanced several grounds of appeal relating to errors in law made by the trial Judge. He had also argued that the jail term was manifestly excessive.
The appellate court earlier this week dismissed Lewis’s appeal against his conviction but allowed his appeal against his sentence which it reduced to 10 years, minus time already served.
According to the prosecution’s facts, Lewis had slashed Burrowes to the throat while outside a bar on New Year’s Day. Burrowes had told the court that he had known Lewis for several years. He had also said that, on the day in question, he was in the vicinity of the Rainbow Bar in New Amsterdam when Lewis came and stood next to him smoking something that smelled unpleasant.
He said he asked him to move, and moments after, Lewis attacked him with a knife and fled.
The injured Burrowes was transported to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was discharged some 18 days later.
Meanwhile, throughout the trial, Lewis had maintained that he was wrongfully accused of the crime. The convict had told the jury that he and Burrowes were at a bar consuming alcohol when an argument ensued between them, after which they both went their separate ways.
He had said that he could not recall any physical altercation between them.
In a probation report, it was disclosed that Lewis “felt bad” about the incident, even though he maintained his innocence.
The report disclosed that he had migrated to the United States in 1990. However, after coming into conflict with the law, he was deported to Guyana in 2002.
A report from the National Psychiatric Hospital revealed that Lewis was admitted to the institution in 2008 for drug abuse. Investigations conducted in his neighbourhood revealed that he is known for his alcoholic tendencies, and has caused disturbances in the community.
A medical doctor had testified that Burrowes suffered a gaping wound measuring seven centimetres in length with a depth of six centimetres. The doctor had explained that the injury resulted in temporary disability and a permanent scar. (G1)
