A West Berbice Man was on Thursday jailed for 11 years after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter at the Berbice Assizes.
Rakash Janack of Blairmont Settlement, West Bank Berbice was responsible for the death of Brentnol Isaacs on October 27, 2012 at Zorg-En-Hoop, Blairmont Settlement.
In a probation report, Probation and Welfare Officer Odessa Semple told the court that efforts to contact the wife of the accused proved futile.
“From investigations, it was revealed that the deceased shared an intimate relationship with the mother of the accused and the accused’s reputed wife.”
Semple said the accused was described by his community members as hard working, quiet, soft spoken and a well mannered and willing individual.
“His parents separated when he was two-years-old and he lived with his mother. He was forced to leave school at the age of eight years old due to severe financial difficulties. His mother was physically and verbally abused by his stepfather.”
She said this forced the family to move to a home for battered women and children at Albion, where they stayed for five months.
At age 18, he started cash crop farming. Semple told the court during her investigations that the deceased was described as a trouble maker.
In presenting the state’s case, prosecutor Attorney Renita Singh told the court that on October 27, 2012, Satwatie Sahadeo claimed that she and her reputed husband were at home at Blairmont when an apparent drunk Isaacs entered their yard armed with a piece of wood.
Verbal abuse
She said the man started to verbally abuse her and her husband.
According to Singh, after the incident, Janack was arrested and he gave police a statement on October 29, in which he admitted to chopping Isaacs.
Singh also explained that a post-mortem report revealed that Issacs died from a gaping wound on the left hand and another to the chest.
Justice Diana Insanally, in imposing sentence, said she took into consideration all the facts in the probation report, and the fact that the accused was remorseful.
“However, it is a serious act which cost someone their life,” she said.
The judge also expressed concern over the amended death penalty law, which stipulates that a person found guilty of murder must receive a sentence of no less than 15 years in prison.
“If 15 years is the minimum for murder, why do we have persons receiving prison terms of 30, 35, 20, 25 years for the lesser count? I don’t understand. Why then do we have persons who are pleading guilty for the lesser offence receiving such high sentences? That is something we need to address. I would want to believe that a sentence for manslaughter should be less than that,” the judged remarked.
Attorney Raymond Ali, who appeared for the accused, told the court that he is in agreement with the judge’s reasoning.
Justice Diana Insanally imposed a sentence of 17 years, deducting the time for the mitigation, the time spent in prison before sentencing and two years for not wasting the court’s time. Janack will therefore spend 11 years in prison.
