Man gets 16 years, 8 months for killing girlfriend in Craig home

Joel Spooner, 24, has been sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison for fatally stabbing his 19-year-old girlfriend, schoolteacher Shenese Walks, during a violent altercation at their East Bank Demerara residence in 2022.
The sentence was handed down on Friday by Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the High Court in Demerara.
Spooner, who initially faced a murder indictment, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
The incident occurred between April 12 and 13, 2022, at the couple’s Craig Public Road home.
Walks, who was from Linden, and Spooner reportedly became embroiled in a dispute during which the young woman armed herself with a knife.
According to Spooner’s statement to Police, he attempted to wrestle the weapon from her but instead inflicted a stab wound to the left side of her neck. Following the stabbing, Spooner secured the house and fled the location.
When Police arrived, they discovered Walks lying dead with the knife still embedded in her neck.

Spooner later told his brother about the killing, after which his brother accompanied him to the Grove Police Station, where he surrendered to authorities.
State Counsel Nelissa Peterkin, assisted by Praneta Seeraj and Christopher Belfield, presented the case for the prosecution. They stressed the seriousness of the offence, noting the rapid escalation from a verbal quarrel to a fatal stabbing.
They argued that Spooner’s actions caused Walks’ unlawful death and represented a breach of both legal and moral obligations.
They also highlighted his conduct after the attack, pointing out that he left without attempting to render aid, first going to the Kitty seawall, then visiting relatives before eventually giving himself up to Police.
The prosecution described this behaviour as showing disregard for the victim’s life and an effort to evade responsibility.
Victim impact statements submitted to the court revealed the emotional devastation suffered by Walks’ family. Her father spoke of the lasting pain, especially as Walks’ son was only a year old at the time of her death. Her mother described ongoing emotional hardship, while her sister recounted feelings of fear and devastation following the killing.
The prosecution urged the court to impose a sentence that reflected society’s condemnation of such crimes, citing case law and arguing that it should serve as a deterrent to violence.
Defence attorney Madan Kissoon asked the court to take into account Spooner’s status as a first-time offender with no prior criminal record. He pointed out that Spooner had co-operated with Police, surrendered voluntarily in the presence of his brother, and expressed apologies to the deceased’s family.
Kissoon characterised the stabbing as accidental, occurring during a heated moment in what he described as a tumultuous and often violent relationship. He urged the court to consider this history of mutual conflict when deciding the penalty.
The defence also emphasised Spooner’s willingness to participate in rehabilitation, including anger management and vocational training, to prepare for reintegration into society.
Kissoon argued for a sentence on the lower end of the custodial scale, combined with rehabilitative measures, instead of a lengthy term with no parole.

Sentencing
The Judge began with a starting sentence of 25 years but reduced it by the mandatory one-third for Spooner’s early guilty plea, bringing it to 16 years and eight months. The time already spent on remand will be subtracted by the prison authorities. No additional deductions or extensions were made for either aggravating or mitigating factors.
In her address, Justice Ally-Seepaul explained that the 25-year starting point was chosen due to the intimate relationship between the accused and the victim and the domestic violence context of the crime, an issue she described as disturbingly common in the country.
She stressed that such killings require a strong judicial response and that people in relationships must learn non-violent ways to resolve disputes to prevent tragic outcomes.
The Judge rejected the defence’s argument of provocation as a mitigating factor and the suggestion that the absence of premeditation should lessen the sentence. She further concluded that Spooner had not demonstrated genuine remorse, instead attempting to shift blame onto Walks.
Justice Ally-Seepaul identified aggravating elements, including the use of a deadly weapon, Spooner’s failure to take the victim to the hospital or seek medical help, and the severe emotional impact on her family.
She noted the mitigating factors to be Spooner’s young age, his lack of prior convictions, his expressed readiness to undergo rehabilitation, and favourable probation and prison conduct reports.
With these considerations, she finalised the sentence at 16 years and eight months.