Essequibo man jailed 19 years for murder of neighbour

Elroy Withrite, a 25-year-old resident of the Region Three community of Farm Village, East Bank Essequibo, has been sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment for the brutal murder of his neighbour Andrew Drakes, committed on June 8, 2019 when Withrite armed himself with a cutlass and launched a vicious attack on Drakes at a pump station in Farm.
The incident, which occurred in 2019, reached its conclusion after Withrite entered a guilty plea to the charge before Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Demerara High Court, thereby avoiding a trial.
During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday at the Demerara High Court, the courtroom was gripped by emotional testimonies and a plea from Nathalie Hines-MacDonald, aunt of the deceased. Addressing the court, Hines-MacDonald spoke of her faith and forgiveness.
“I hurt a lot, I grieved a lot, but nothing can bring back my nephew,” she said.
Turning to face Withrite, she added, “I forgive you… There is hope for you because there is a God. I beg this court for mercy on you.”
Withrite also took the opportunity to express his remorse as he apologised to Drakes’s family members for his actions.

Withrite’s lawyer Kezia Williams, moreover, highlighted mitigating factors; and the probation report presented during the hearing spoke about Withrite’s challenging upbringing, struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, and his having a life marked by financial difficulties, abandonment, and neglect. Despite these challenges, probation officers described him as mild-mannered and cooperative during his time in custody.
In her sentencing remarks, Justice Isaacs-Marcus outlined the gravity of the crime, and noted the premeditated nature of the attack. Pointing out that Withrite had gone home to retrieve the cutlass before returning to confront Drakes, she said the brutality of the crime was underscored by the fact that one of Drakes’s children had witnessed the attack, and it has left a lasting trauma on that family member.
While emphasizing the seriousness of the offense, the judge also acknowledged Withrite’s remorse, early guilty plea, and lack of prior convictions. She thus reduced the initial 30-year sentence by accounting for these factors and the five and a half years he had already spent on remand. The final sentence of 19 years includes instructions for Withrite to receive continuous psychiatric care and vocational training during his incarceration.
Justice Isaacs-Marcus has also ordered counseling services for Drakes’s widow, children, and other relatives in order to help them cope with their loss and trauma.
As the sentencing hearing concluded, Justice Isaacs-Marcus expressed hope that Withrite would use his time in prison to reform and emerge as a productive member of society.
For the family of Andrew Drakes, the judgment brought a measure of closure, though the void left by his tragic death remains immeasurable.

RECAP
Eyewitnesses to this fatal 2019 incident had recounted hearing chilling screams before discovering Drakes lying face down in a pool of blood. The 43-year-old father of three had sustained multiple injuries, including eight severe chop wounds, and had been pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Withrite had later been seen fleeing the scene with the murder weapon in his hand. (G9)