Man who confessed to gunning down ‘Taps’ jailed for 23 years

A-29-year-old former North Ruimveldt resident was on Friday sentenced to 23 years imprisonment after confessing to the execution-style killing of Christopher Wharton called Taps, who was gunned down in 2015.

Rickford Jones called Junie appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court and opted to plead guilty to manslaughter.

He admitted that on November 18, 2015, he unlawfully killed Wharton at Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The State was represented by Prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Tiffani Lyken, and Nafeeza Baig. Jones was represented by attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay.

Wharton was shot-execution style on the stairs of his North Ruimveldt home in what Police believed was a drug-related crime.

The murder, which was captured on CCTV cameras, was carried out by two men who rode up to the house on bicycles.

Wharton, who was shot three times about the body, including once to the abdomen, succumbed within an hour of being taken to the hospital.

His then five-year-old son, who was seen exiting the house and running down the stairs seconds after his father was shot, received a gunshot wound to his foot.

In August 2019, Brian Mohan, also known as Abdool was committed by Magistrate Leron Daly to stand trial at the High Court for the murder of Wharton.