A Corentyne farmer yesterday pleaded guilty to the 2019 murders of a Canadian hotelier and his watchman at Number 63 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
Alvin Durant also known as “Alvin Bhola” and “Blacka”, of Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Berbice where he entered his guilty plea.
It is alleged that between December 19th and December 27th, 2019, at Sunsplash Hotel, Number 63 Village, he murdered Vivekanand Brijbassi and Harry Prashad.
At the plea hearing, the state was represented by Attorney at Law, Muntaz Ali, while Durant was represented by Attorney Surihya Sabsook.
Durant will return to court on October 26 for sentencing.
The decomposing bodies of Brijbassi, 71, who was the owner of Sun-splash Holiday Beach Resort, and his watchman, Prashad, 59, of Number 68 Village, Corentyne, were found bound and gagged in the balcony area of the upper flat of the two-storey facility on December 27th.
It was reported that the men died as a result of shock and haemorrhaging due to multiple injuries they suffered. The police said that Brijbassi was discovered with two toes from his left foot severed, while Prashad was found with both hands tied behind his back to a post and his left foot completely severed from the ankle.
Brijbassi reportedly arrived in Guyana on September 20, 2019, and was last seen by his sister Krishna Boodram on December 19, 2019, when he visited her home and had dinner with her.
She had related that her brother had been afraid of staying at the hotel but eventually had made up his mind to stay there. She had questioned him about whether he was scared to reside at the building, and he had told her that he had two friends staying with him, one of whom was identified as Prashad.
Earlier in June, a Corentyne man who was charged while a juvenile in 2020 with the murders of the Canadian hotelier and his watchman opted to plead and was sentenced to four years in prison.
The now 19-year-old convict was sentenced to four years in prison minus time served. After he has completed his sentence the court ordered that he is to be placed on probation for three years and a report be prepared by the chief probation officer every month. He was ordered to inform the probation officer if he changed his address.
Additionally, he will have to perform community service for one hour weekly for six months. He was further ordered to try to find gainful employment and to not travel unless the court orders it. He is also to keep the peace and be on good behaviour while on probation.
Furthermore, noncompliance with the above orders will permit the State to make an application to review his sentence.
