Pork-knocker sentenced to 10 years for killing mother of 5

Raymond O’Selmo, called “Goadie Man”, a 53-year-old former pork-knocker of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown who killed a woman after she refused to let him hold her hand, was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years in jail, less time served.
The custodial sentence was imposed by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the High Court in Demerara.
Initially indicted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the February 27, 2019 murder of Nadina Kalamadeen, a 34-year-old mother of five, O’Selmo threw himself at the merc

y of the court by pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
The woman was stabbed several times by O’Selmo while she was walking along Second Street, North Sophia, Greater Georgetown. According to reports, O’Selmo had become obsessed with the woman despite her rejecting his amorous pleas to enter into a relationship with him. After the woman had refused his advances, he reportedly whipped out a knife and dealt her several stabs to the back. The injured woman was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital(GPHC), where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
O’Selmo had attempted to escape after savagely stabbing the woman, but had been swiftly apprehended by persons in the neighbourhood, and had been dealt a sound thrashing.

At O’Selmo’s sentencing hearing on Thursday, his lawyer Teriq Mohammed pleaded for a light punishment for his client. He pointed out that even though his client had been intoxicated when he stabbed the woman – which could have led to him not being the master of his mind – he has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty at first instance.
In this regard, counsel submitted, “He didn’t waste the court’s time. He has given up the opportunity for him to go through a trial…”
Mohammed said his client took this course of action after he had perused the depositions with him.
Although the confessed killer is of a mature age, his lawyer contended that he can still be rehabilitated and integrated into society.
“Sorry for whatever took place between me and Nadina. I can’t remember what happen between me and her,” a soft-spoken O’Selmo said in his address to the court.
The killer told the court that he would normally give Kalamadeen, whenever she asked, money to buy lunch for her children.
For his part, State Prosecutor Mikel Puran said the defenceless woman had been stabbed six times about her body, including to her armpit and chest.
While alluding to the prevalence of violence against women in Guyana, the Prosecutor noted that
Kalamadeen’s death is an unjustifiable loss of life.
On this note, he asked the Judge to impose a punishment that is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence, and one which would serve as a deterrent to potential offenders.
The presiding Judge, in her sentencing remarks, quoted from O’Selmo’s caution statement. “Nadina got me vex because she didn’t want to hold me hand. I chopped her in the face with a knife and juk her up. I didn’t know what got into me to stab her. I’m sorry.”
Regarding O’Selmo’s two previous convictions for serious offences, it was disclosed that he had been jailed for 15 years in 1990 for sexually penetrating a 12-year-old girl. More than a decade later, in 2011, he had been fined for discharging a loaded gun.
Prosecutor Pooran asked the court to consider the man’s antecedents when passing sentence, but the Judge said those past convictions were spent and would be disregarded.
In arriving at a fitting sentence, the Judge, inter alia, took into consideration the psychological effects Kalamadeen’s passing have had on her family, especially her mother and children. She pointed out that O’Selmo was an adult when he committed the crime, and ought to have known the consequences of his actions. According to her, the killer lived a crime-free life after his convictions were spent, and appeared “genuinely remorseful” for taking the woman’s life. The Judge also considered a favourable prison report for him, in which it was stated that he never violated any prison rules.
With regard to mitigating factors, she highlighted the convict’s background circumstances, stating that he lacked parental figures while growing up.
In sentencing the killer, the Judge commenced with a base of 21 years, from which she made a one-third (seven years) deduction for the early guilty plea. From the remaining 14 years, four years were deducted for mitigating factors, leaving 10 years.
In the end, O’Selmo was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison, and was credited for the time he had spent in pre-trial detention. He was remanded for the offence on March 4, 2019.
The Prison Director has to ensure that this offender is exposed to rehabilitation programmes during his incarceration, the court ordered.
After the Judge handed down the sentence, a seemingly elated O’Selmo exclaimed: “Thank you very much, ma’am! May the good Lord bless you.” (G1)