ECD man admits to killing ex, dumping body in trench

A 43-year-old man is now awaiting sentencing after he admitted on Monday that he stabbed and slit the throat of the mother of his child, whose decomposing body was pulled from a trench back in 2016.

The confessed murderer, Cleavaughn Hamilton called “Quarters”, formerly of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and his co-accused, 37-year-old Ranachal Singh, also known as “Andy”, who also resided at Mahaicony, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon last week Thursday.
At the Demerara High Court, they were read a joint charge for the April 2016 murder of 25-year-old Simone Hackett, the mother of Hamilton’s son, of Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
While Singh, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Alaira Murphy-Goodman, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, Hamilton at the same time pleaded not guilty to the capital offence, and as such, a jury was empanelled to hear his trial.
However, on Monday, Hamilton, through his lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat, indicated to Justice Kissoon of the new course he wanted to adopt, pleading guilty to the murder charge.

As such, the judge’s registrar re-read the charge to him, and he pleaded guilty and also accepted the agreed facts. A sentencing hearing for Hamilton and Singh is fixed for September 26.
The case for the prosecution is being led by State Counsel Muntaz Ali, in association with State Counsel Taneisha Sagon.
The agreed facts stated that Hackett and Hamilton were involved in a relationship that produced a child but had separated and were involved in a dispute over the custody of their son.
On April 16, 2016, Hamilton contacted Singh, a taxi driver, whom he had known for several years, to transport him to Hackett’s home. According to the facts, the men made plans to lure the woman to the University of Guyana (UG) Access Road, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.

In so doing, Singh called Hackett and pretended to be “Dexter”, a man from whom she would usually collect items sent for her son by Hamilton, and told her that she must come to UG Access Road to collect a package that was sent for the child.

When Hackett arrived at the location, she boarded Singh’s car and sat in the back seat. Hamilton was also in the vehicle. Hamilton then held on to the mother of his child and stabbed her several times with a knife before slashing her throat.
Singh subsequently drove to a concrete bridge where Hamilton dragged Hackett’s body out of the car and dumped it in a nearby trench and disposed of the murder weapon. After the gruesome act, Hamilton and his accomplice drove to Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
According to the prosecution’s facts, while on their way to the interior, Hamilton instructed Singh to stop the car at a canal on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). Whilst there, Hamilton used his shirt that he had soaked in water to wipe the bloodstains from the car.
Three days later on April 19, 2016, two schoolboys found Hackett’s decomposing body in the trench between Third and Fourth Streets, Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
Hamilton, who was arrested the following day by the Police, gave a caution statement outlining the role he played in the woman’s murder. He also directed detectives to the area where he met Hackett on the night that she was killed.
Police took possession of Singh’s car and bloodstains were seen on the back seat and floor and maggots were found below the mats in the back seat. Meanwhile, Hackett’s body bore an incise wound to her neck and there were 11 other incise wounds about her body.