Push cart vendor gets 10 years for murdering friend

Twenty-nine-year-old Quincy Messiah, who murdered his friend following an argument over a hammock in November 2014, was on Wednesday sentenced to serve 10 years behind bars for the capital offence by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court.
After considering the facts of the case presented to him by State Prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Abigail Gibbs and Natasha Backa, Justice Singh told the accused that no excuse can justify his actions on the faithful day of November 28, 2014; that is the day he murdered Trevor Ragabeer.
Both men, Messiah and Ragabeer, resided at Lot 9 Camp and D’Urban Streets,

Georgetown.
On the day of the tragic incident, the men had an argument over a hammock which was being used by both of them, when Ragabeer reportedly made a derogatory remark to Messiah about his mother.
Messiah’s mother was killed in front of him when he was seven-years-old.
This remark reportedly enraged Messiah and as such, he picked up a knife and dealt Ragabeer several stabs about his body, killing him.
Attorney for the accused, George Thomas, told the court that because of the trauma faced by his client at a young age when his mother was murdered in front of him, Messiah was unable to get over his past which resulted in his actions on November 28. He begged for leniency, reminding the court that the accused accepted ownership of the crime he committed.
Messiah told Justice Singh that he was sorry for his actions and revealed that he was affected mentally. He further revealed that since his imprisonment, he has been taking anger management classes.
Prosecutor Gibbs however objected to leniency being granted to the accused noting that a lack of education, a troubled past and growing up without a mother cannot be used as justification for taking a life.
Justice Singh in making his deliberation said that he noted that the accused did indeed have a troubled past which triggered him when he was told about his mother by Ragabeer.
He recommended that Messiah receive special counselling. He then sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment, with time already served to be deducted.