Christopher Van-nooten, 48, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on September 20, 2024, after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Sherwin Smith, 44.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the High Court in Demerara. Van-nooten’s time spent on remand will be deducted from his sentence, and it was ordered that he receive skills training during his incarceration.
The fatal stabbing occurred on April 18, 2022, at the Mabaruma Settlement Ground in the North West District (NWD). Van-nooten stabbed Smith twice, once in the neck and once in the abdomen, during an altercation. A police officer on duty witnessed the attack, intervened, and disarmed Van-nooten, but Smith succumbed to his injuries later that evening.