Stabroek News

Convicts in mu teen lodg

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Sentenced earlier this month to death for murdering his god-brother, British teenager Dominic Bernard, back in 2015 at Kildonan, Corentyne; Aaron Hing has filed an appeal, challengin­g what he describes as a severe sentence.

His accomplice Staymon George who had admitted guilt for the part he played in the gruesome slaying of the young man, has also filed an appeal—now arguing—that his attorney Ravindra Mohabir had forced him to plead to the charge.

He argues that his guilty plea was “not unequivoca­l,” while adding, “it was as a result of pressure/inducement” by Mohabir who he names in his notice of appeal.

George has also taken issue with Justice Sandil Kissoon’s acceptance of his plea to the capital offence, arguing that he instead should have accepted a plea to the lesser offence of manslaught­er.

The Appellant’s contention is that the judge erred in this regard, given the facts presented against him by the prosecutio­n.

George said that in those circumstan­ces he is appealing his “conviction” and the life sentence imposed against him for which he was ordered to first serve 35 years, before being eligible for parole considerat­ion.

Meanwhile, Hing in his appeal has argued that his sentence was not only severe, but contends that his trial was also “unfair.”

A date will be given by the appellate court when the appeals will be heard.

Hing had himself also initially pleaded guilty to the crime during his first appearance at the High Court in Berbice.

After a summary of the

Aaron Hing case was read, however, Justice Kissoon entered a not guilty plea for Hing, who labelled himself a victim in the matter and implicated George.

He subsequent­ly faced a trial at the end of which a jury found him guilty as charged for murdering his god-brother.

Bernard had travelled from London to Guyana on October 14th, 2015. His father had said that the 18year-old was supposed to have been visiting his godbrother, but there was no trace of him after he cleared customs.

A body suspected to be that of Bernard’s was discovered on January 8th, 2016 in the backlands of Nurney, which is located next to Kildonan. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed that it was indeed his remains.

In issuing the death senSean

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