Ryan Alberts who in a drunken rage back in 2016 stabbed and killed one of his friends and injured another who intervened as a peacemaker, was yesterday sentenced to four years in prison by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.
Last November, Alberts, 23, also known as ‘Murray’ pleaded guilty to the charges of manslaughter and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He accepted that on March 29th, 2016 at Yarakita, North West District in the County of Essequibo, he unlawfully killed Dalton Emmanuel and assaulted Mark Edwards so as to cause him actual bodily harm.
His sentence had been deferred for a probation report.
According to the facts of the case presented by Pro-secutor Latifah Elliot, the men had all been imbibing on the day in question when an argument and a subsequent scuffle ensued, during which Alberts stabbed Emanuel.
It was as Edwards intervened to part the men that he was also wounded by Alberts.
Following the altercation and as he left the scene, Elliot said Alberts remarked, “Like I kill de man.”
An autopsy she said, would later reveal that the 19-year-old miner died from perforation of the heart due to a stab wound.
In imposing sentence, Justice Barlow underscored the role drunkenness played in what she described the unfortunate events of that fateful day.
She noted the seriousness and prevalence of alcohol-related violence and warned that the Court could not countenance the too-familiar scenarios of accused willfully consuming alcohol, becoming intoxicated and then excusing the consequences of their actions.
In her reprimand, she told the accused that in his drunken state he became disruptive and urged him to never again consume alcohol to the extent that he is so rendered.
Against this background she ordered that Alberts be provided counselling sessions while in prison which are tailored for alcohol abusers.
Justice Barlow commenced the sentence for manslaughter at a base of 16 years from which she made several deductions, including for the offender’s early guilty plea and the period he spent on remand.
For the assault charge, she imposed four years and ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
Defence attorney Ravindra Mohabir in a mitigation plea had asked the judge to consider that his client had accepted full responsibility for his actions, pleaded guilty at the first given opportunity and had always cooperated with police.
He commended for the Court’s consideration also, his client having no antecedents or other pending matters, his age which he said still affords the potential of rehabilitation and the fact that he had been in prison for more than five years awaiting trial.
He also pointed to Albert’s own address to the Court, relating that he was sorry for having taken his friend’s life.
Alberts who asked for clemency said he could not recall what transpired as he was under the influence, but stressed that he never intended to kill his friend, even as he continually apologized to the Court over the actions he unreservedly took responsibility for.
Justice Barlow noted in imposing sentence that she had considered all the mitigating as well as the aggravating factors of the case.
For the latter she underlined how young the deceased met his demise, the fact that a sharp instrument was used and the fact that there had been an attempt at preventing Alberts from mortally wounding the teen.
