Man serving 88 years for killing ex-lover asks court set aside conviction

Jermaine Maynard, the 48-year-old man who was sentenced to 88 years’ imprisonment back in 2016 for murdering his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, has moved to the Court of Appeal. Following a trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court, a jury found Maynard guilty of the charge, which stated that he murdered Carlissa Matthews between December 31, 2013, and January 1, 2014, at Croal Street, Georgetown.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the High Court, Maynard is now asking the Court of Appeal to set aside and/or reverse his conviction and sentence. He has proffered several grounds in support of his application, claiming that the trial judge made several errors in law when summing up the evidence to the jury.
The murder convict is also contending that the 88-year prison sentence is manifestly excessive and not in keeping with established sentencing guidelines. Media reports are that Maynard and the young woman shared a relationship that ended a few months before her demise.

On December 31, 2013, Matthews was standing in front of a fast-food outlet at the Stabroek area when Maynard approached and asked to speak with her.
At the time, Matthews, who was in the company of relatives and friends, walked away and chatted with Maynard before he whipped out a gun and shot her to the head. The woman, who fell to the ground, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she died the following day.
Maynard was arrested by Police while he was about to board a boat at the Guyana-Suriname “backtrack” crossing at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice.
Justice Singh, in sentencing Maynard, commenced at a base of 60 years. The Judge added 10 years for premeditation, six years for domestic violence, six years because Maynard had a previous similar conviction, three years for the use of a firearm, and three years for public endangerment.