“I wish you well” – Judge tells man after sentencing him to life for killing pensioner

“I wish you well!”, said Demerara High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon to a 34-year-old man, whom he sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a pensioner during a home invasion in 2016.

Sherwin Clarke aka “Hot Skull”, who had initially denied murdering David Ramkissoon, 76, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter mid-way through his trial.
Ramkissoon called “Dillip” was found dead with his throat slit on August 21, 2016, by his son, Anand Ramkissoon who, along with his wife and two children, also lived with the now dead man at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
He found his father’s body facing the wall in a sitting position in a pool of blood. An undisclosed amount of cash was missing from the home.
It was reported that following the discovery of the pensioner’s body, footprints were seen in the mud at the back of his yard, leading to an alleyway. Along with the footprints, drops of blood were spotted, and they led to a shack located a short distance from the slain man’s house.

I’m lost
Meanwhile, during Friday’s sentencing hearing, the dead man’s son, shared, “I’m almost lost. I have no urge to do work when I’m at home because I’m always having memories of my father…”
Anand’s wife said that she is still traumatised and hurt because she was the one who found her father-in-law lying in a pool of blood. “I would cry for him because I miss him so much,” she said as she described the deceased as a cheerful, caring, and extremely loving man.

According to her, her family lives in fear because they are afraid that people might break into their home again.

Sorry for your loss
When asked by the Judge if he had anything to say before the court passed its sentence, Clarke said, “I’m asking the court, the deceased family… I am telling you sincerely from my heart that I am sorry for your loss.”
“Please forgive me and I am asking the court to be very lenient with me…so I could get another chance in society to go and show my son and daughter a father’s role…” he added.

Severe penalty
For his part, Justice Kissoon admonished Clarke for his criminal act which, according to him, resulted in the death of a vulnerable man. The Judge said that the now dead man suffered from cerebral palsy—a condition that affected his ability to move and maintain balance.
The High Court Judge pointed out that Clarke and his accomplices broke into the man’s home with the sole intent to rob the occupants without any attempts to conceal their identity as the crime was committed around noon on the day in question.
Because there was no evidence that Ramkissoon resisted or hampered the men’s escape, the Judge said he believes the men killed him to conceal their identity since they lived in close proximity to the elderly man, whom he described as someone of “modest means”.

Progressively worse
Despite Clarke’s claim that he did not want to be a part of the home invasion, Justice Kissoon pointed out that the evidence shows that he did not try to save the elderly man or raise an alarm.
Instead, he was present, aiding and abetting and thereafter received the proceeds of the crime, added the Justice. The court heard that the killer previously served a three-year jail sentence for simple larceny and another three years at the New Opportunity Corp for wandering.
In light of this, the Judge said that the gravity of the crimes committed by Clarke has gotten “progressively worse”. Given the prevalence of this offence, the rule of law, the Judge noted, warrants a severe penalty to deter others from committing such brutal crimes.
“Citizens and members of society must be safe in the presence of his home. The conduct of the [Clarke] and his accomplices have no place in a modern society…” he lamented.
In the end, the Judge imposed a life sentence on Clarke, ordering further, that he only becomes eligible for being parole after serving 20 years.
The prison has to make deductions for the time he spent on remand awaiting trial. Attorneys-at-Law Muntaz Ali and Damien Da Silva appeared on behalf of the prosecution and defence, respectively.
In April, another man, 29-year-old Godfrey Gill called “Chucky”, who also confessed to killing Ramkissoon, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment. Gill, who was initially indicted for the capital offence of murder, also opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.