Man sentenced to life in prison for 2020 Kitty murder

Derryck Favourite, also known as “Rastaman”, will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of the 2020 murder of Kitty contractor Peter Gonsalves.

Justice Simone Morris on Thursday delivered the sentence at the Demerara High Court, ordering that Favourite serve a minimum of 25 years before becoming eligible for parole. The ruling came after submissions from prosecutors Padma Dubraj and Tenisha Saygon, who highlighted aggravating factors and pressed for a severe penalty. Favourite’s sentencing follows that of his co-accused Daniel Parris, called “Black Boy”, who in June admitted to his role in the killing and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 21 years.
Both men were jointly charged in February 2021 with the capital offence which stemmed from the December 7, 2020, armed robbery and murder of Gonsalves on Garnett Street, Kitty. Gonsalves, 60, had been at a bar with a co-worker when two gunmen attacked, firing several shots. He was fatally struck while his companion managed to escape. The assailants fled on Gonsalves’ XR motorcycle.

Police investigations quickly gathered pace. Initial charges were laid against another man, Kacey Heyliger, on December 11, 2020, just days after the murder. However, two months later the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the case against him. CCTV footage from the bar helped guide investigators, and Parris was later arrested after being found with the stolen motorcycle. It remains unclear when Favourite was apprehended, but the evidence ultimately led to both men being committed to stand trial.
With Thursday’s ruling, the court has now brought closure to the case, nearly five years after Gonsalves’ life was cut short in what authorities described as a brutal and senseless act of violence.