Dwayne Tappin, the former soldier who was found guilty of decapitating his uncle in 2017, was yesterday sentenced to life in prison for the crime.
Tappin, 28, was found guilty last month of the murder of Randolph Seenauth, 51, at Better Hope, East Coast Deme-rara on August 6th, 2017.
He was brought before Justice Sandil Kissoon yesterday for sentencing. Prior to the sentence being handed down, a probation report was read to the court.
In the report, it was noted that the accused was not academically inclined and dropped out of school at the fourth form level—a move which his mother did not support. Afterward, he held a number of jobs before he joined the defence force. It was also noted that the accused ran a successful farm prior to the murder.
According to the report, the man was described as a hardworking individual, but there were steady battles between him and his uncle, especially when they both drank.
Additionally, the report described the now-deceased as a jovial person who engaged in odd jobs around his community despite suffered from epilepsy.
During sentencing, Justice Kissoon noted that the court considered the plea in mitigation made by the accused’s attorney, the fact that the accused had maintained his innocence even after being found guilty and his admission in a statement. The judge further considered evidence which was presented by the pathologist, who noted that there was a mark which indicated that there was one blow delivered before the fatal blow.
The judge sentenced Tappin to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving 40 years in prison. Justice Kissoon also ordered that he be enrolled in programmes that may facilitate his reintegration into society.
The deceased’s body was found in his Better Hope home after neighbours reported hearing a loud commotion coming from the home. Seenauth’s body was found on a mattress in his bedroom and his head was in the kitchen area. Tappin turned himself in to the police just hours after the discovery.
