A remorseful Paul Scotland, was on Tuesday sentenced to 16 years in prison for the 2014 stabbing of his partner, Monica Adams.
Scotland appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court, where he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and wounding with intent.
It was alleged that on January 3, 2014, Scotland fatally stabbed Adams at her Paradise, East Coast Demerara home. It was further alleged that he attempted to murder the brother of the deceased, Charles Elliot, who had gone to his sister’s assistance during the altercation.
According to the particulars presented to the court by state counsel Abigail Gibbs, Scotland had grabbed Adams by her hair and stabbed her in front of her brother.
It was further noted that Elliot, in a bid to save his sister, hit Scotland with a shower rod, which resulted in Elliot being stabbed once to the chest before escaping.
Meanwhile, Scotland, in his address to the court, not only accepted his wrongdoings but also begged for the mercy of the judge and the forgiveness of Adams’ brother, who was present at the sentencing.
“I apologize to the court, I am very sorry for what happened. It was out of frustration by coming and witnessing my child mother with another man,” he said in open court.
“Charles, I didn’t mean to do what happened, I am sorry and I asking you to forgive me,” Scotland said to Elliot.
He also asked Justice Singh to have mercy on him, so that he will later be able to take care of the three children he shared with Adams.
Attorney for Scotland, Dexter Todd, in a plea of mitigation, asked the court to consider that the man had no previous criminal record, was in his early twenties at the time of the incident and had been a model prisoner.
He also noted that Scotland was not a troublemaker and would therefore be an asset when he returns to society.
However, Gibbs, in her address, asked the court to impose a sentence that would reflect the gravity of the offence.
Justice Singh, in his delivery of the sentence, explained that the court took into consideration the fact that the accused showed remorse and had pleaded guilty to the lesser counts of that which he was charged.
He also noted that consideration was also given to the time the accused spent in prison after the incident, as a result, he sentenced Scotland to 16 years in prison for manslaughter and a further eight years in prison for wounding with intent. The sentences are expected to run concurrently.
