Carpenter Dwayne Jordan, who was found guilty of hacking his wife to death, is expected to be sentenced on Monday before Justice Navindra Singh after arguments about whether he should receive the death penalty concluded yesterday.
Justice Singh stated that he will hand down a written decision on Monday because he feels that this type of case calls for it. He also asked the defence to have its mitigating plea ready in case the need arises.
Defence counsel, Nigel Hughes, argued that his client should receive a sentence that is in keeping with international norms while arguing that the death penalty is prohibited by virtue of the Criminal Law Offences (Amendment) Act of 2010. That law provides for persons to be sentenced “to imprisonment for life or such other term as the court considers appropriate, not being less than fifteen years,” in specific instances where murder has been committed.
Prosecutor Konyo Thompson, who represented the state along with Renita Singh, rebutted, saying that the amendment applies to cases from the date of the enactment of the legislation onwards.
A 12-member jury returned the unanimous verdict on Friday, finding Jordan guilty of the June 14, 2007 murder of Claudine Rampersaud at Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara.
