Devendra Persaud, also known as “Fish Teeth,” appeared yesterday before Justice Peter Hugh at the High Court in Demerara where he pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter in the 2019 killing of Samuel Lyttle.
The court heard that on July 26, 2019, Persaud fatally wounded Lyttle.
Following the guilty plea, Justice Hugh ordered a probation report along with statements outlining mitigating and aggravating factors, and all agreed-upon facts, to be presented at the next hearing, scheduled for October 17, 2024, when sentencing will also take place.
Persaud was initially charged with murder after Lyttle, known as “Tuff Chest,” was beaten while in custody at Lusignan Prison. Lyttle, a 23-year-old labourer from Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital less than a day after the attack.
Prison authorities, including then Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, had reported that the incident occurred around 2 p.m. in Holding Bay 4 of Lusignan Prison. Lyttle was attacked by Persaud, who struck him multiple times in the head with a piece of wood. The autopsy revealed that Lyttle died from multiple blunt force trauma.
Reports had suggest that Lyttle and Persaud had an ongoing feud, with Lyttle allegedly bullying Persaud and other inmates. On the day of the incident, Lyttle was resting in a hammock when Persaud launched the fatal attack before being restrained by prison officers. Lyttle had been in custody for just one week on a break-and-enter and larceny charge before the fatal assault occurred.
