Man jailed for 32 years for brutal 2021 ECD murder

A 33-year-old man was on Monday sentenced to 32 years in prison for his role in the 2021 killing of East Coast Demerara resident Nico Layne, called “Daddy,” after the High Court rejected his claim that he was attempting to de-escalate a violent confrontation that ended in a fatal stabbing.
The sentence was handed down by acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court, where Randy Tafari appeared for sentencing in the same matter in which his co-accused, Osafi Johnson, had previously received a 32-year prison term for the same murder.
Tafari, who was represented by counsel during the proceedings, told the court that he had accepted responsibility for his involvement and expressed remorse for what transpired. He maintained that he did not know the deceased personally and claimed that he only became involved after an altercation developed between Johnson and Layne.
He told the court that he followed the group during the incident and attempted to intervene in order to “de-escalate” the situation, insisting that he did not intend for matters to escalate into a fatal attack. Tafari also offered an apology to the family of the deceased and asked the court for forgiveness, stating that incarceration had given him time to reflect on his actions.

Surveillance footage
However, the prosecution rejected his account, presenting surveillance footage in court which, according to the State, directly contradicted his version of events.
Led by prosecutor Christopher Belfield, the State argued that the video evidence showed Tafari actively participating in the attack rather than attempting to stop it. The court saw footage on Wednesday that captured the deceased being cornered and repeatedly stabbed by both accused while he was in a vulnerable state.
The prosecution described the attack as “cold-blooded,” arguing that the injuries inflicted on Layne demonstrated a sustained and deliberate assault. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that Layne sustained 17 incised wounds, with death caused by haemorrhage and shock due to multiple stab and slash injuries.
Extreme violence displayed
Following review of the video evidence, Justice Singh expressed concern over what was shown in court, stating that the court could not reconcile Tafari’s explanation with the reality depicted on surveillance footage. The judge remarked on the extreme violence displayed and questioned the necessity of the force used against a man who, at the time, appeared to pose no threat.
In sentencing Tafari, the court applied the structured sentencing approach used in the co-accused’s case. The judge began with a starting point of 36 years’ imprisonment.
From this, the court deducted 12 years to reflect Tafari’s guilty plea, entered prior to trial. A further two-year deduction was applied after the court accepted that he showed genuine remorse, based on his expressions before the court and probation considerations.
However, the court added four years to reflect the significant emotional and psychological impact on the victim’s family, and a further six years to account for the particularly cruel and brutal nature of the offence.
This brought the total sentence to 32 years’ imprisonment. Time spent on remand will be deducted from the final term.
Justice Singh ultimately held that the actions captured on video reflected a disturbing level of brutality and a complete disregard for human life, noting that the deceased was repeatedly attacked even while attempting to escape.
In a related development, Tafari’s co-accused, Osafi Johnson, was also previously sentenced to 32 years’ imprisonment in the same matter after entering a guilty plea earlier in the proceedings.