Farmer who hacked drinking buddy to death jailed for 9 years

Martin Salvador, a 54-year-old farmer was on Wednesday morning sentenced to nine years imprisonment for killing his drinking buddy during an argument in 2014.

Salvador, a father of eight, was sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Georgetown.

Salvador had opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence manslaughter, thereby admitting that on October 16, 2014, at Nappi Village, Central Rupununi, he unlawfully killed Wilson James.

His attorney, Attorney Conway, in his plea of mitigation, told the court that his client has been attending church service while imprisoned.

Attorneys-at-law Teriq Mohamed, Abigail Gibbs and Tuanna Hardy presented the case for the prosecution.

According to reports Salvador and James were friends. On the day in question, Salvador was at the victim’s home consuming alcohol when an argument erupted.

James became annoyed armed himself with a bicycle bar and approached Salvador.

Salvador armed himself with a cutlass and dealt several chops about his friend’s body.

James was picked up in an unconscious state and was rushed to the Lethem Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Justice Singh, after considering Salvador’s early guilty plea, sentenced him to nine years jail.

The judge also ordered the prison authorities to deduct the time Salvador spent in pre-trial custody from the sentence.