Ex-GDF Captain appeals life sentence, asks for less jail time

Former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Captain Orwain Sandy, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his reputed wife, Reona Payne, has filed an appeal against his sentence.

Arguing that the sentence is manifestly excessive and severe in all the circumstances of the case, Sandy, who shot the woman 14 times with his service revolver, is asking that the sentence be set aside and a lesser one imposed.
Sandy, who was indicted for the murder of Payne, which occurred on March 31, 2018, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared virtually before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown. The prosecution’s case contended that Sandy and Payne, a mother of three, were in a motor car proceeding along First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, when an argument ensued about her alleged infidelity.
According to reports, Sandy suddenly stopped the car, and as the woman exited, he shot her 14 times.
After the incident, Sandy – who was a Special Assistant to the GDF Chief-of-Staff – turned himself in at the Ruimveldt Police Station. He was later charged for murder. His lawyer had told the court that his client was mentally unwell to stand trial.
As a result, the court ordered that Sandy be evaluated by a psychiatrist; he was later deemed fit to stand trial.
Payne worked as a Travel Agent at the Muneshwers’ Travel Service for a number of years. She and Sandy were not married, but lived together for about three years.
During Sandy’s sentence hearing on August 4, 2020, the father of Payne’s three children, Richard Bevany, as well as the children, shared how the death of their loved one has impacted their lives. The woman’s daughter and son told the court that they miss their mother, and ever since her demise their lives have been filled with sadness.
Meanwhile, Sandy’s lawyer, Ravindra Mohabir in a plea of mitigation, told the court that on the day of the killing, his client had a “sudden and temporary loss of self-control due to provocation” .
Mohabir related that Sandy asked Payne to call the person she was having a relationship with and demanded that she ended it. In response, Mohabir claimed, Payne threw his client’s gun out of the car window, which angered him.
During his address to the court, a remorseful Sandy said, “I do understand the severity of my actions and I take full responsibility for my actions. I am pleading with you for a second opportunity into society so that I can ensure that men do not fall prey to domestic violence, intimate partner violence, depression, and suicide. I am sorry.”
The former Army Captain explained that the ordeal has increased his advocacy against domestic violence and intimate partner violence. He described Payne as “his first love”, and said that her untimely death has left a hole in his heart that could never be filled.
According to Sandy, he has disappointed himself, family and friends, the Chief-of-Staff and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He recounted that on the day of the killing he suffered a mental breakdown, and that after the killing, he was haunted by suicidal thoughts.
Meanwhile, State Prosecutor Lisa Cave strongly condemned the killing, and urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to like-minded individuals. The Prosecutor noted that no form of violence against women would not be tolerated.
Justice Kissoon reprimanded Sandy and told him that his conduct did not reflect the expectation of society or the disciplined forces.
Having considered all the circumstances, the High Court Judge imposed a life sentence on Sandy, and ordered that he only become eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 20 years behind bars. At the announcement of the sentence, Sandy burst into tears.