“Heinous, diabolical, calculated and brutal,” were among the words Justice Sandil Kissoon used to describe the manner in which Staymon George snuffed out the life of British teenager Dominic Bernard, back in 2015.
Before imposing a life sentence on George yesterday afternoon Justice Kissoon said that from the facts of the case, the teen’s fate had been sealed by the premeditated nature of the violence meted out against him, from which he could not escape.
Little did he know that at the time he boarded that flight from the UK his grave had already been dug by George and others in the Nurney Backlands, Corentyne, Berbice, the judge said.
Against this background, Justice Kissoon said that George’s actions fell into the “worst of the worst” category, for which a life sentence was warranted, though he allowed for the consideration of parole, but not before 35 years would have been served.
The reprimand from Justice Kissoon was stern, but perhaps it was the impassioned cries for justice from Bernard’s mother and father fighting without success to hold back their tears, that was most moving.
A visibly distraught Linda Bernard in her impact statement sought to pay tribute to her only son of whom she said she was extremely proud, though her years with him on earth had been so short.
Dominic was 18 years old when he was murdered.
Overcome by emotions, Linda who joined the hearing virtually from her home in London said that she now suffers from depression and range of other illnesses which has destroyed their entire family unit.
Sharing the toll Dominic’s death has had on her, Linda explained that it has been especially excruciating when she reflects on how Dominic was conceived—which she said was after an intense course of In-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
She said he was a much longed for baby and it was a joy and dream to welcome him into the world.
She described her son whom she affectionately referred to as “Dom,” as being a typical boy who enjoyed family, school and friendships; fondly recalling that he was “mischievous, funny and a lot of work at times too.”
She said he was well-liked, and had a fantastic sense of humour, was fun and adventurous; but was very protective of his two little sisters.
Linda recalled that his love for videography had begun with posts on YouTube on how to fix, maintain and perform stunts on his BMX bike. So many views he had she said, that YouTube partnered with advertisements when people viewed his videos and he began to earn an income from this.
This, she said, grew into music videos and his first trip to Atlanta was made and two videos shot on location, but underscored his pride for his West Indian heritage, which would ultimately spark his desire to visit Guyana.
Recalling what she did not know at that time would be the last time she was seeing her son alive, Linda said she hugged and told him how proud she was of him. “Most preciously of all I told him I loved him…It was a beautiful send off,” she poignantly recalled.
“It was our final goodbye but we didn’t know that. It was beautiful…It was perfect,” she shared as she took some time to compose herself.
She said they never again heard from Dominic, and their minutes, hours and days grew longer and unimaginable, noting that there was no news. Christmas came and went, she said and they set a place for Dom at the table and had presents under the tree for him when he returned.
His 19th birthday she said also came and went, still with no news and recalled how frantic they were with worry day and night. “Then the news we never ever imagined. This dark and unbearable time closed in and my world as Dominic’s mum came crashing down. Hope was gone. Dominic was dead,” the woman said as she again broke down in tears.
Before finally being able to take his body back to London, Linda said “I hugged his coffin and cried many tears.”
She said the loss of their son in such a violent way has impacted them; while noting “grief brings you together or it can tear you apart.” She said it impacted their family greatly and shared that she has since divorced after 24 years of marriage.
She said she also takes nightly meds to help her fall asleep; noting that she suffers frequent nightmares and broken sleep. “I am very anxious in crowds and with sudden loud noises. My mental health is being managed slowly. I find it near impossible to recall memories of my son. As hard as I try, I cannot recall memories of raising Dominic, they have been wiped away and yet I was there every step of the way. My memory has been robbed and erased with trauma,” she told the court.
Linda said she has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and that “guilt is continual as I should have known and sensed the danger Dominic was facing. I did not protect him. Did he call out for his mum in his distress and pain in his last moments and if he did, I was not there. The instinct of a mother is to protect her children. I could not protect Dominic. I cannot convey how traumatised I am to know how Dom’s life ended and how he suffered.”
Reality
Meanwhile, for his part, Dominic’s father broke down at the reality of having lost his son.
“No son should die before his father and especially not before his grandfathers, that is not the order God intended for us,” Andrew Bernard said in his impact statement to the court.
He described his son as a “handsome, polite, considerate, hardworking and generous young man.”
Andrew recalled his son’s fascination with film production which he said started from his visit to America to see for himself the live inauguration of former President Barack Obama. The BBC television network he said, went to their house to film their preparation.
“Our father and son hobby was of course the movies, we loved going to watch films together. I will no longer be able to have movie time with my son ever again,” Andrew tearfully said.
A probation report presented by Probation and Social Services Officer Ashley Fable said that George was described by community members as humble, kind and well-mannered and that as a result they expressed shock over his involvement in the heinous crime.
She said prisoner authorities described him as a model-prisoner and noted that he has been engaged in barbering behind bars.
She said, too that he lost both parents at a young age and that this may have affected his social development.
In his brief address to the court, George said that he was sorry for his actions.
His attorney Ravindra Mohabir begged the court for clemency, underscoring his good behaviour in prison and the fact that he had no previous brushes with the law. He also asked the judge to consider the years his client had spent on pre-trial remand.
Before imposing the sentence, Justice Kissoon told George that Bernard was made to walk “his final lap” into the backlands, to his grave that had been prepared days before his arrival in the country.
Acting on his murderous, evil intent, the judge told an expressionless George that he and others retrieved the weapons they had already concealed at the shallow grave, including a hammer, with which they beat the teen mercilessly, attacking the most vulnerable parts of his body—his head and neck.
Justice Kissoon recalled from the autopsy report that the teen’s spine had been severed, and that he had also sustained multiple fractures to his skull, before being bound and gagged.
The judge said that such was the violent and cold-blooded savagery of the attack that a hole had also been found in the young man’s skull, separate from fractures there; all of which from the autopsy report revealed that he was alive at the time they were inflicted.
The judge told George that while he noted his lawyer’s pleas in mitigation, they were not worthy of consideration given the aggravating factors by which they were far outweighed.
The judge went on to tell George that in arriving at the sentence he took into consideration the extreme violence, premeditation, the gravity of the injuries inflicted, the use of a weapon and attacking vital and vulnerable parts of Bernard’s body and the fact that there were multiple attackers.
The State’s case was presented by attorney Latchmie Rahamat who was appointed special prosecutor
Earlier this month, George, 29, also known as ‘Sherwin’ or ‘Stayie’ appeared at the High Court in Berbice where he admitted that on October 14, 2015, at Kildonan Village, Corentyne, East Berbice, he murdered Bernard.
