Donald Sheriff who was charged with the murder of New Amsterdam labourer Keron Nicholson in May 2020, and last month opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared at the High Court in Berbice was yesterday sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after fifteen years.
Nicholson, 33, succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) on March 18, 2020, some 10 days after he was involved in an altercation with Sheriff.
Police were able to apprehend Sheriff in May 2020, at Stone Creek Backdam, Mahdia after which he was charged at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court with murdering Nicholson sometime between May 8, 2020 and May, 17, 2020 at Patrick’s Dam, Angoy’s Avenue.
Sheriff entered his guilty plea at the High Court in Berbice last month. The state was represented by Attorney at Law, Muntaz Ali.
In 2020, Stabroek News had reported that in a video seen by this newspaper, Nicholson and the accused were arguing after which Nicholson turned to walk away and the accused dealt him a blow with an object to his head.
The suspect then continued to attack Nicholson, who after the first hit fell face down on the road.
In sentencing him yesterday Justice Sandil Kissoon called the murder a brutal and senseless killing and said that society continues to be confronted with such acts.
He further noted that the unlawful killing of Nicholson is a grave and serious crime adding that the prevalence of such crimes around Guyana is alarming and cannot be condoned or permitted to continue with the sentences of the court being served to halt such callous killing.
He said, the accused was armed with a piece of wood which was used to inflict the fatal injury to the deceased and that he attacked Nicholson in the head – with the use of extreme violence to inflict injury to a vital and vulnerable part of the body causing Nicholson to fall immediately.
Justice Kissoon stated that in the mind of the court there was a premeditated factor and that the court finds that the accused has no real regret or remorse for his actions.
Justice Kissoon sentenced him to life in prison for the horrific crime. It was ordered that his time spent in remand be credited and that he serve 15 years before being eligible for parole.
Furthermore, it was also ordered that during his incarceration he should benefit from all programmes for anger management.
