Post office robbery-murder: Convicts appeal life sentences, claim Judge made several errors
Sentenced back in 2019 to life imprisonment for the January 2013 murder of a security guard, Alvin Kissoon and Calvin King have filed an appeal challenging what they described as several errors in the law made by the trial Judge.
They were found guilty by a 12-member jury for murdering John Christopher during a robbery at the Lethem Post Office, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). They were each sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Demerara. They become eligible for parole after serving 32 years.
File photo: Calvin King (hiding face) and Alvin Kissoon during their appearance at the Demerara High Court in 2019
Kissoon and King are now challenging their conviction and sentence at the Guyana Court of Appeal. In so doing, they have filed a notice of appeal containing several grounds upon which they intend to quash the ruling of the lower court.
The convicts argued that during the summing up of the evidence, Justice Kissoon posed several rhetorical questions to the jury which had the effect of leading the jury to conclude that they were guilty as charged.
The murder convicts contend the Judge’s summing up was not fair and balanced and resulted in the Judge usurping the functions of the jury as a result of the manner in which he expressed opinions on the evidence. Kissoon and King argue that the trial Judge did not adequately address the issues to be considered by the jury from the confession statement in his summation of the evidence.
According to them, the learned trial Judge misled the jury as to the elements and the law with regards to joint enterprise and acting in concert in an indictment alleging a felony/murder and their participation.
Police reported that the robbery occurred on January 18, 2013. It was reported that the convicts entered the post office and bound the two security officers after beating them. They then broke into fives safes and stole over $9 million in cash.
They were captured some 12 hours after the robbery in a motor car at the Mabura Checkpoint along the Linden-Lethem roadway. It was reported that $4 million was found under the car’s rear seat along with a quantity of GTT phone cards and several pay slips. (G1)
