Leonard Fredericks will be spending just over the next five years behind bars for the 2015 killing of sixty-five-year-old miner Peter James, who he stabbed about the body during an argument in a liquor bar.
Back in April, Fredericks pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing James on December 30th, 2015.
He had been originally indicted for murder, but pleaded to the lesser offence of manslaughter during his arraignment.
At his sentencing hearing yesterday afternoon, Fredericks when given a chance to speak said that he was sorry for his actions, and begged Justice Jo-Ann Barlow for a “second chance.”
His attorney Teriq Mohammed who said that his client has accepted responsibility for his actions from the inception, asked the Judge to consider his early plea.
He said that Fredericks’ intoxication on the fateful night, hindered him from being “master of his mind,” the consequence for which he said he is willing to bear full responsibility.
Mohammed in his plea for clemency on his client’s behalf, said that the offender recognizes that he has erred and is remorseful.
The court heard from victim impact statements from James’ sister and niece who described him as fun-loving and jovial; while lamenting the void his absence has created in the family, as the reality of his death still hurts them.
Jocelyn Williams said that losing her brother who would have been a pillar of support to her in the difficult years which ensued, makes the impact of his death even greater.
“I cry a lot,” Prosecutor Latifah Elliot read to the court from her statement.
Meanwhile, the court heard from his niece Veronica Marks’ statement, “justice would not bring him back, but at least our family would feel a little better knowing that the person who killed my uncle is in jail serving time for taking him away from us.”
Referencing aggravating and mitigating factors of the case and case law precedent, Justice Barlow said that a base of 18 years was appropriate; while noting that the Court was not of the view that Fredericks was so drunk that he was not aware of what he was doing.
The judge said that what she did find, however, was that because of his intoxicated state, he did not intend to kill.
Having regard to all the circumstances of the case, the Judge made the full one-third deduction for the early plea and for the full period that the offender had spent on remand awaiting trial.
Following all the deductions, Fredericks now has remaining a sentence of five years, six months to complete.
In her admonition, Justice Barlow told Fredericks that while she cannot tell him to stop imbibing, he should endeavour upon his release from prison, to ensure his alcohol consumption does not exceed his ability to maintain a “level, sober” mind.
Stating that alcohol sometimes causes people to “do stupid things” which they regret when sober, the Judge told him that he ought to strive never again to find himself in the problems that it has placed him.
Against this background, she ordered that the prison authorities ensure that the offender is provided counselling for alcohol abusers.
James, formerly of Matthews Ridge, North West District, was stabbed about his body during an argument with Fredericks in a liquor bar.
Investigators had said that Fredericks had related that the act was the result of an old altercation.
Stabroek News had previously reported that a source close to the investigation had said that Fredericks told investigators that some two months prior to the incident, James had dealt him a blow to his head with a piece of wood and on the day of the killing they were at a shop consuming alcohol together when he remembered the incident and armed himself with two knives before fatally stabbing the man.
Police had reported one of the weapons used in the attack being found in Fredericks’ possession at the time of his arrest.
An autopsy revealed that James sustained 10 incised wounds, with one to his heart, measuring at least 12 centimeters long.
The cause of death was given as haemorrhage and shock due to perforation of the heart as a result of stab wound, compounded by blunt trauma to the head.
