WBD man gets 15 years for murder of Berbice businessman

– additional 10 years for armed robbery, felonious wounding

Sheldon Smith, a 25-year-old resident of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for the March 13, 2020 murder of 78-year-old businessman Tony Bishnauth, also called “England Bank”, of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.

Smith has also been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for armed robbery, and must serve an additional five years in prison for felonious wounding committed during that incident.
The prosecution’s case was that Bishnauth had been attacked and shot dead by one of three armed men at a snackette at Stelling Road in Rosignol while he had been celebrating his birthday with two of his friends. Those friends had also received gunshot injuries during that robbery.
The attackers had demanded that the businessman and his friends hand over the valuables they had had in their possession, and Bisnauth had thrown an empty plastic bottle at one of the bandits.
He was consequently shot in the head, while his friend and neighbour Bobby Brijlall had sustained a wound to the right side of his abdomen, and his other friend, 23-year -old Mahendra Nagamootoo, had sustained gunshot injury on the arm, to his side, and to his lower back when the third masked man had opened fire on him as he attempted to flee the scene.

Addressing the court before the imposition of his sentence, Smith said he was sorry for his actions, which resulted in the death of Bisnauth.
“I take full responsibility for my actions. I hold full responsibility for my past and my future…my life has changed,” he said.
He also related that he has learned to choose his company wisely.
In a plea of mitigation before sentence was passed, Attorney at Law Suriya Sabsook told the court that even though Smith had been in company of others, he had been armed with a cutlass whereas the others had had guns, and his weapon did not cause the death of Bisnauth.
She asked the court to be lenient to her client, and noted that Smith has expressed remorse for his actions. Moreover, she assured that Smith is now a different person from the one who had committed the offences, and disclosed that Smith has enrolled for the GOAL Scholarship programme.
However, the prosecutor in this case, Attorney at law Cicelia Corbin, noting that two persons had also been injured during the robbery, and that, as a result of the injuries he had sustained, Mahindra Nagamootoo could not have worked for two years,
asked the court to impose the maximum penalty on the convict.
She pointed out that Smith has pleaded guilty to murder and robbery, and reminded the court that such actions cannot be tolerated.
In her sentencing remarks made in the Berbice High Court on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul noted that Smith had been armed with a cutlass and his two accomplices had been armed with handguns. But while Bisnauth had died as a result of a gunshot wound, Smith had knowingly participated in the robbery which had led to Bisnauth’s death.
Noting Bisnauth’s age, she said the murder had had a devastating impact on his family, and that his wife had referred to him as the main breadwinner of the family.
Noting the nature and seriousness of the offence, particularly that Smith and his accomplices had planned to commit the robbery while fully knowing that the weapons they were carrying could cause death, the Judge reiterated that the incident took place on the man’s birthday, and at a time when he was unarmed. Additionally, when Smith was arrested, the stolen items were found in his possession.
“It is not okay to be robbing people of their belongings and causing them to lose lives in the process,” she told Smith, who had previously been convicted of break and enter.
Justice Ally-Seepaul in handing down the sentence, pointed to the fact that, since being incarcerated, Smith has participated in several programmes for his upliftment, including anger management and information technology.
“The accused is a prime candidate for rehabilitation, having served five years as a remand prisoner,” the Judge said.
Considering the mitigating factors and the fact that Smith did not waste the court’s time, he was sentenced to 21 years for Bisnauth’s death, an additional five years for robbery-under-arms, and another 5 years for wounding that caused actual bodily harm.
Meanwhile, police have issued wanted bulletins for Medellin Orlanda Evans and Carlos Evans, who are wanted for questioning in connection with this murder.