Man who rammed woman with car, stabbed her to death appealing sentence
Sentenced earlier this month to life in prison and ordered to serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole, Corentyne taxi driver Gavin Gill, who admitted murdering his wife, is contending that the sentence is “too severe.”
In his notice of appeal lodged before the Guyana Court of Appeal, Gill (the Appellant), is arguing that Justice Sandil Kissoon took into consideration “irrelevant factors” in imposing the sentence.
According to Gill, the judge failed to consider mitigating factors when passing the sentence and/or he did not give the mitigating factors “the appropriate consideration.”
He argues, too, that Justice Kissoon failed to “properly” exercise his discretion in refusing to award him the 1/3 reduction in sentence for his guilty plea, and also that he failed to “properly” apply the deduction for time spent on remand.
A date will be given by the local appellate court when the appeal is to be heard.
Gill had struck his wife with his car before stabbing and chopping her to death, during an attack in which he almost severed her neck.
He was arraigned before Justice Kissoon at the High Court in Berbice where he admitted that on the morning of Saturday March 30th, 2019, he murdered Omwattie Gill at Tulsie Street, Williamsburg Village, Corentyne.
Before sentencing, Justice Kissoon had pointed out that Gill, 33, had no regard for a restraining order his wife had previously taken out against him, while noting that he acted as if she had no rights.
Stressing the rights of women and how they must be treated, the judge had said that the sentence needed to reflect the gravity of the crime.
Stabroek News had previously reported that Gill inflicted stab and chop wounds on Omwattie, after intercepting her as she made her way to work.
According to an eyewitness, the man used motorcar, HC 4924, to hit the woman after which she became unconscious.
Gill then used a knife with which he stabbed her multiple times in her abdomen and back, before slashing her forehead and throat, after which he grabbed a cutlass from his car and chopped her neck.
A probation report had revealed that prior to the attack, the couple had separated and Omwattie returned to her mother’s house but Gill visited the probation services in hopes of mending things with his
wife.
He claimed that she neglected her household chores, which caused them to have issues, but the woman had told the probation department that Gill was in the habit of borrowing large sums of money, which would embarrass her and that in one instance he even coerced her to pawn her jewellery to pay his debts.
The report noted that although Gill begged forgiveness, Omwattie insisted that he had done so before and did not
change his behaviour and so she refused to return to the home they once shared together.
Several days later, Gill threatened to murder the woman, causing her to seek a restraining order.
Notwithstanding this, however, days later he intercepted her as she made her way to work and carried out the fatal attack.
The couple has a three-year-old daughter together.