Phillip Jhagroo has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars for the 2019 murder of a Leguan youth, Mark Narine, who police had said was struck off his motorbike by the offender and thrown overboard.
The sentence was handed down on Wednesday by Justice Brassington Reynolds, who has ordered that deductions be made by the prison for the period Jhagroo would have spent on remand awaiting trial.
Detained shortly after the March 2019 killing of the young man, the offender would have just under three years, four months deducted from his sentence.
A jury on June 13 returned a unanimous verdict, finding Jhagroo guilty as charged of murdering Narine between March 30 and March 31, 2019 at School Dam, Richmond Hill, Leguan.
It had been the State’s case that Jhagroo, called ‘Tanky’, 50, formerly of Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara hit the now-dead 22-year-old off his motorcycle on the day in question.
The court had heard that Narine, called ‘Marko’ was on his way home, when Jhagroo struck him off his motorbike and then threw him overboard.
His remains were found the next day in a trench at Leguan.
A post-mortem examination would later confirm that the Endeavour, Leguan, Essequibo River labourer, died as a result of drowning.
The autopsy also revealed that he had been severely beaten, as evidenced by the blunt trauma to his face and hands.
Jhagroo was represented by defence attorney Latchmie Rahamat, while the State’s case was presented by Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken.
The trial was heard at the High Court at Suddie.
