Murders, sexual offences among 20 cases concluded in Berbice, Essequibo assizes

Eight matters in the Berbice October 2025 Assizes and 12 matters in the Essequibo October 2025 Assizes were disposed of in the first quarter of the year, with several matters still ongoing as the assizes continues. The Berbice Assizes continues until June, while the Essequibo Assizes remains in progress until May. In Berbice a further four cases were nolle prosequi and discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). In one instance a simple larceny and possession of firearm and ammunition without licence case was discontinued due to an inability to locate the main witness, while three matters for sexual offences were discontinued after the complainants declined to testify.

In Essequibo nine matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP after complainants submitted statements indicating they did not wish to proceed with their matters. Of these matters, three were for sexual offences, four were for attempted murder, one for manslaughter and one for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. In Berbice, State Counsel Marisa Edwards prosecuted the eight cases before Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty. Of the eight matters two were murders, two were attempted murders, three were sexual offences and one was for the offence of embezzlement by a clerk or servant. In one of the murders trials the accused was found guilty by a jury verdict and will be sentenced in April. The other accused pleaded guilty to the offence of murder in the furtherance of a robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole after serving 20 years. In one of the attempts to murder, the accused pleaded guilty to the alternative count of felonious wounding and was sentenced to 15 years and six months. He was ordered to continue alcohol rehabilitation and anger management while in prison.

The other accused was acquitted by unanimous jury verdicts on both counts. In one the three sexual offence cases, the accused who pleaded guilty to the offences of Rape and Assault Causing Bodily Harm was sentenced to 12 years and eight months imprisonment on the first count and three years and four months on the second count. The sentences will run concurrently. Of the two other matters, one accused was acquitted by a jury verdict. The complainant in the other matter testified that she did not wish to give evidence and the trial judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty. In the embezzlement matter, the accused was found unanimously guilty and will be sentenced on April 30. Four matters were nolle prosequi by the DPP; one for the offences of Simple Larceny, and Possession of Firearm and Ammunition without Licence because the main witness could not be located and three cases of Sexual Offences in which the complainants declined to testify. Meanwhile, State Counsels Caressa Henry, Fenton Budhram, Rodley Mathoo and Aleria Heywood presented the 12 matters in the Essequibo Assizes with two matters before Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif and 10 matters before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln. The 2 matters before Justice Chandra-Hanif were for the offences of murder and Rape of A Child under 16 Years. The accused in the murder pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months imprisonment after the Court made deductions for the guilty plea and mitigating factors. This sentence will run concurrent with a previous sentence of life imprisonment with parole after 20 years imposed on him in another trial. The accused for the offence of Rape of A child under 16 Years also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Of the 10 matters presented before Justice Corbin-Lincoln, five were for murder, three for sexual offences and one each for the offences of manslaughter and attempted murder with an alternative of felonious wounding. ln four of the five murders, the accused all pleaded guilty. One accused is awaiting sentence in May for murder while three others pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter; one of them was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment after the Court made deductions for his plea and mitigating factors. The other two had their sentences deferred. In the one other case, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Sentencing of the accused has been deferred. In the one manslaughter cases, the accused was found guilty by jury; and his sentence has been deferred. The accused in the one matter for the offence of attempted murder with an alternate count of felonious wounding, pleaded guilty to the alternate count and was sentenced to 10 years. This sentence will run concurrently with a previous sentence imposed on him for the offence of murder. ln one of the three sexual offences matters, the accused pleaded guilty to the offence of Rape of A child under 16 years. He was sentenced to nine years and eight months imprisonment after the Court made deductions for his plea. The accused in the other two matters were both acquitted by unanimous jury verdicts.