Former Great Diamond resident Alvin Calder, who was earlier this year convicted of the 2007 shooting death of Mahdia gold miner Joseph Willy, was on Friday last sentenced to 10 years, 11 months behind bars.
While initially charged with murder, the state indicted Calder for the lesser offence of manslaughter, on which a jury back in February found him guilty.
Justice Gino Persaud who had presided over the trial had deferred sentencing for a probation report.
The judge imposed the sentence following deductions for time Calder spent on remand awaiting trial.
The charge against the convict had stated that on April 12th, 2007, at White Water Landing, Potaro, Essequibo, he, unlawfully killed Willy called “Jeff-man.”
Following his arrest some nine years after the killing, investigators had said Calder related that he and Willy had a drug deal which went bad and $150,000 was owed to him by Willy who refused to repay.
He was said to have provided detectives with a detailed statement during which he explained that he was running a shop at the time and Willy took a quantity of goods amounting to $150,000 without repaying him despite several requests.
Calder, police said, had added that a few days after the goods were taken, he saw a relative of Willy `sporting’ heavily and he confronted her.
When Willy learnt of the confrontation, he reportedly approached Calder armed with a cutlass and was shot twice.
Calder immediately left the interior and later leant that Willy had died. Police had said Calder told them that he subsequently went into hiding.
The court had heard from Calder’s attorney that it was the now-deceased who was the aggressor and had attacked his client with a cutlass on the day in question.
The defence had argued that during the incident, Willy was chasing Calder with the cutlass when he, Calder accidentally fired a shot at him.
The lawyer said his client was unaware that Willy had died and that it was not his intention to kill him.
The trial was heard at the High Court in Suddie, Essequibo.
Representing the state was Prosecutor Lisa Cave.
