Although he did not inflict the fatal wound, Linden Williams was yesterday morning sentenced to eight years behind bars for the unlawful killing of a friend.
Appearing before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Georgetown moments after the ceremonial opening of the June Demerara criminal assizes, Williams pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing Sydney Errol Campbell called ‘Bakey.’
He had originally been indicted for murder, to which he pleaded not guilty, and he admitted instead to the lesser offence manslaughter.
Describing the incident which led to Campbell’s demise as “really, really stupid,” Justice Singh rhetorically asked whether Williams had recognised where his actions had landed him.
Presenting the facts of the case, Prosecutor Teriq Mohammed told the court that on Old Year’s night 2014, Williams and another person had approached Campbell, who was walking on the road in the village of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara.
That other person, the prosecutor explained, chucked and uttered to Campbell the words, “Leh dis thing done from today.”
Thereafter, Mohammed said that the person stabbed Campbell once in the chest, after which Williams armed himself with a brick, which he threw at one of the wounded man’s feet, causing him to fall to the ground.
Campbell succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The prosecutor acknowledged from the facts that it was not Williams who had inflicted the fatal wound but noted that his culpability would have been tied by his involvement nonetheless in the joint-enterprise with the other person.
While noting from the facts that Williams did not do anything with the calculated intent of causing the man’s death, Justice Singh expressed the hope that he would have seen how his actions had caused him to be involved.
Noting that he was only 17-years-old at the time, the judge remarked that teenagers are generally “stupid.”
Meanwhile, defence attorney Dexter Todd said that the incident was an unfortunate one, especially since the two were friends, but sought to quickly add that his client was sorry for what he had done.
Begging the court for lenience, counsel asked the judge to consider his client’s good behaviour since being incarcerated, while stating that he is no trouble-maker and has since been using his time behind bars wisely.
On this point, Todd said that the young man who had entered prison with no skill, is today a welder and talented pannist, who performs in the prison’s steel orchestra.
Impressing upon the court to also consider his client’s acceptance of responsibility at the first-given opportunity, defence counsel touted his client as being suitable for reintegration to society, where he said he can make a valuable contribution, given his good behaviour and young age.
The prosecutor, meanwhile, had asked the court to impose a sentence which would reflect the nature and gravity of the offence.
Given a chance to speak, Williams apologised to Campbell’s tearful relatives, who were present in court.
Justice Singh said that having considered all the circumstances of the case, Williams would be sentenced to eight years behind bars, with deductions to be made by prison officials for time served while on remand.
