“I am sorry for the family’s loss” – manslaughter convict tells court

…jailed for 25 years

Twenty-eight-year-old Keno Lampkin, also known as “Cuz”, was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for the 2023 death of Kevin Seraphin, who was fatally stabbed during a violent altercation at a party in Linden.
The sentence was handed down by Chief Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday, following Lampkin’s manslaughter conviction last month. Lampkin was represented by attorney-at-law George Thomas, while the state’s case was led by prosecutors Geneva Wills and Christopher Belfield.
In presenting mitigating factors, Thomas urged the court to consider that his client had been 25 years old at the time of the offence and was under the influence of alcohol and “his testosterone”, although he acknowledged that this did not excuse the incident.
Thomas argued that the confrontation stemmed from a verbal exchange involving the deceased and another individual, which escalated into violence. He also asked the court to take into account Lampkin’s favourable probation and prison reports, which indicated that he was not known to be violent and had willingly participated in rehabilitation programmes while on remand.

According to Thomas, the matter represented his client’s “first and hopefully last” involvement in criminal proceedings.
When given an opportunity to address the court before sentencing, Lampkin expressed sympathy to Seraphin’s relatives but continued to maintain his innocence.
“I am sorry for the family’s loss,” Lampkin told the court while insisting he was not responsible for the killing.
Meanwhile, emotional victim impact statements were presented by members of Seraphin’s family, who detailed the devastating toll his death had taken on them.
Yolanda James, the dead man’s sister, described the loss of her brother as traumatising and said his death had left a deep void within the family. She described Seraphin as caring, supportive, and family-orientated, while pleading with the court for justice.
Seraphin’s mother, Paula Booker, also addressed the court, describing her son as her first child and a provider who always ensured his family was cared for.
Booker said the grief of losing her son had permanently changed her life and affected her health, including significant weight loss.
In outlining aggravating factors, Prosecutor Wills argued that Seraphin had been attempting to defend his wife on the night in question when he was violently attacked by several men. Wills told the court that the deceased sustained severe incisive wounds, reflecting the brutality of the assault. She further argued that Lampkin’s continued insistence on his innocence demonstrated a lack of accountability.
The prosecutor urged the court to impose a sentence that would send a strong message of deterrence and demonstrate zero tolerance for violent offences.
In delivering the sentence, Chief Justice Singh noted that Lampkin had failed to accept responsibility for the killing, raising concerns about his prospects for rehabilitation.
The Judge also emphasised that the sentence followed a full trial, noting that there must be a distinction between offenders who plead guilty and those who require the court to conduct a lengthy trial before conviction.
Justice Singh said the court adopted a starting point of 25 years imprisonment. Four years were deducted due to Lampkin’s favourable prison report and participation in rehabilitation programmes while on remand.
However, the Judge said Lampkin’s credibility was undermined after he changed his version of events during the trial. Justice Singh also questioned the sincerity of the apology offered to the family, noting that the accused still denied responsibility.
The court found no additional mitigating factors and added four years due to the severe impact the killing had on Seraphin’s relatives. Lampkin was ultimately sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with the court ordering that the time he spent on remand be deducted from the sentence.
Last month, after several hours of deliberations, a 12-member jury returned a unanimous verdict acquitting Lampkin of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter by an 11–1 majority.
Lampkin, of Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, had been on trial for the fatal stabbing of Seraphin during what prosecutors described as a rapidly escalating confrontation at a party in August 2023.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the incident began after Seraphin’s girlfriend was allegedly slapped by another man at the gathering. Seraphin reportedly intervened and struck the individual with a bottle, sparking a wider fight involving several persons.
The court heard that the man involved was allegedly part of a gang-affiliated group, and one member of that group reportedly had a prior dispute with Lampkin, who was also present at the party.
Witnesses testified that Seraphin later became involved in the violence and stabbed one of the men with a bottle, causing him to fall into a nearby culvert. The confrontation subsequently intensified as multiple individuals joined the attack.
According to the prosecution’s case, Seraphin was then assaulted with bottles, pieces of wood, and other objects before being forced into the culvert, where several men reportedly prevented him from escaping.
Witnesses testified that Lampkin was seen entering the culvert armed with a knife. During the brawl, Seraphin sustained a stab wound to the chest.
Although the injured man managed to escape the culvert, he collapsed shortly afterwards and was later pronounced dead at the Linden Hospital Complex.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on August 24, 2023, determined that Seraphin died from perforation of the heart and lung due to a stab wound to the chest.
Lampkin was arrested on September 14, 2023. During police questioning, he denied involvement in the killing, reportedly stating, “I didn’t murder anybody,” and “I didn’t bore anybody; I wasn’t involved in the incident.”
He was subsequently identified during an identification parade on September 16, 2023, and formally charged two days later.