14 years jail for farmer who killed wife

Thirty-five-year-old Peter Juan, a farmer of South Rupununi, was on Thursday sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after he confessed to killing his reputed wife in 2017.

Juan of Shulinab Village, South Rupununi appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Georgetown High Court charged with murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He admitted that on February 18, 2017, at Central Rupununi, he unlawfully killed Justina Bernard.

His attorney, Maxwell McKay told the court that his client is remorseful and was under the influence of alcohol during the commission of the crime.

State Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig said that on the day in question, the couple was imbibing at a shop and later left for home on Juan’s bicycle during which they got into an argument and Juan dealt her several blows to the head.

Juan rode away from the scene and left his wife there but when he arrived home, Juan realised that he did not have the keys to the house and returned to the scene.

The court heard that he subsequently found her lying lifeless on the road.

A post mortem report revealed that Bernard died from blunt trauma to the head and a fractured skull.

Juan, in addressing the court, said he is sorry for his actions and wants to be released from prison so that he can for his child, which he shared with Bernard.

The Judge after considering the nature of the case sentenced Juan to 14 years imprisonment and ordered that the prison authorities deduct the time he spent on remand from the sentence.