Man to spend 20 years in jail for murder of Toshao

An Essequibo High Court judge has sentenced a 32-year-old man to 20 years in prison for the 2019 killing of Kurutuku Village Toshao, Solomon Lewis, a crime that unfolded after a violent domestic dispute escalated fatally.
Addisena Benjamin, of Kurutuku Village, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was handed the sentence by Justice Navindra Singh following his guilty plea to the capital offence of murder. The sentence will be reduced by the amount of time Benjamin has already spent in custody since his arrest over five years ago.
According to the case presented by State Prosecutor Caressa Henry, the incident took place on January 1, 2019, in the remote indigenous village, shortly after a confrontation erupted between Benjamin and Lewis. The altercation reportedly began after Benjamin assaulted Lewis’s daughter, Sarah Lewis, with whom he was romantically involved.

When Lewis attempted to intervene in defense of his daughter, a heated argument ensued, during which Benjamin armed himself with a cutlass and dealt Lewis a blow to the shoulder. The injury proved devastating. Lewis was rushed for medical attention but later succumbed to his wound. A post-mortem examination revealed that he died from septic shock resulting from the multiple injuries he sustained during the attack.
In addition to killing the village leader, Benjamin also attacked and injured Lewis’s son, Marvin Lewis, during the violent outburst.
During the sentencing hearing, Benjamin was represented by attorney-at-law Tonza Sarabo, who urged the court to consider his client’s early guilty plea and the fact that he had been on remand since the date of the incident. Sarabo submitted that these factors demonstrated a degree of remorse and cooperation with the judicial process.
However, State Counsel Henry emphasized several aggravating elements in the case, including the brutal use of a weapon, the vulnerability of the 52-year-old victim, and the broader context of rising violence in society. She asked the court to take a firm stance against such acts, particularly those involving indigenous leaders who serve vital roles in their communities.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Singh acknowledged the mitigating factors raised but concluded that the nature of the crime warranted a substantial custodial sentence. He ordered that Benjamin serve a 20-year term, with a deduction for time already spent behind bars awaiting trial.