Karasabai resident to be sentenced for killing fellow villager

Yuri Nicholas, the man who pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing his fellow villager in May 2019, will return to the Demerara High Court on February 5 to be sentenced.
At his arraignment before Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry this week, Nicholas chose to enter a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter, despite having initially been charged with the murder of 23-year-old Elton Leonard, which took place on May 3, 2019.
The prosecution’s case is being led by State Counsel Caressa Henry and Joy Williams. Attorney Teriq Mohammed is defending Nicholas.
Leonard was reportedly stabbed to death after an argument had broken out among some men with whom he had been imbibing at a bar in the village of Karasabai, South Pakaraimas, North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
It was reported that Leonard had left his home while under the influence of alcohol, and some five hours later, had been engaged in a heated row with the three men, during which he was stabbed in his left side chest. He had reportedly collapsed and died almost immediately, while the three men had made good their escape as he lay dying on the ground in a pool of blood.
In a caution statement, Nicholas told the Police that he and the late Leonard had known each other, but had not been friends. He had said that whenever Leonard imbibed, he would “curse him up”. He had told the Police that on May 2, 2019, he was drinking with some of his friends in Karasabai Village when he saw Leonard passing where they were drinking.
He said Leonard had started cursing at him, and he had decided that he was going to fight him. He had continued drinking, and after midnight, he told his friends to let them go and fight with Leonard. Nicholas claimed that when his friends gave him the okay, they went to “call out” Leonard.
According to him, Leonard emerged holding a piece of wood. He claimed that after he and his friends got into a fight with Leonard, “Bruce” pulled out a knife and stabbed Leonard in the chest, since they were unable to defeat him, due to his strength. He told the Police that they continued beating Leonard, and when he fell, they stomped him on his head and abdomen. When people started coming out of their homes, he said, they ran away.
Nicholas was apprehended by the Police five days after the killing.
An autopsy found that Leonard had sustained a stab wound to the left chest, going to the right and slightly downwards. His death was caused by perforation of the heart due to a stab wound. (G1)