Munilall Sarjoo was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Levan Chanderpaul, whose body was found buried in the Number 68 Village, Corentyne backlands in 2016.
Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall handed down the sentence at the High Court in Berbice, where she ordered that Sarjoo, called ‘Baby’ and ‘Long Hair,’ must serve 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Chanderpaul, 26, a fisherman of Lot 116 Number 68 Village, was found bound with chop wounds about his body on August 24, 2016, two days after he was reported missing.
A post-mortem examination had revealed that Chanderpaul died after sustaining a fractured skull.
Sarjoo was arrested and later charged in 2017.
In giving the reasons for her decision, the judge said that she took into consideration the circumstances under which the offence was committed and the fact that the young deceased met his death in a gruesome manner. She noted that he was brutally bludgeoned, resulting in fractures to his skull that must have caused him to endure tremendous pain and suffering prior to his demise. She also noted that his hands were bound and his body dumped and that the evidence suggests that it was a premeditated killing.
Justice Morris-Ramlall also considered that the accused knew the deceased as well as the evidence that the accused fled from the police during the investigation and was in hiding for several months.
In regards to Sarjoo, the judge considered the fact that he had a previous criminal record as a conviction for a violent offence against another person resulted in him being deported to Guyana.
The judge also considered that the probation report showed him in a negative light to the extent that he was referred to as a menace. Justice Morris-Ramlall also took into account that the accused expressed no remorse and opted not to make a plea in mitigation. She said the only mitigating circumstances considered is that the accused had a difficult childhood with economic constraints.
The impact the murder has had on the deceased’s relatives was also considered.
A jury earlier in the month had found Sarjoo guilty of murder following a trial before Justice Morris-Ramlall.
After the verdict, an emotional Sarjoo had said, “Is best I take my life now your honour. I come back from America and I tried to improve my life. I never involved in no thieving or problem. Everything is money. That guy went to Eve Leary and give a statement, I didn’t give a statement at Eve Leary. They set me up”.
He was represented by attorney Rodwell Jagmohan, while the state was represented by prosecutor Tuanna Hardy.
