Convict in Lusignan/Bartica massacres pleads guilty to 2007 robbery/murders

Thirty-six-year old Michael Caesar, who is serving 60 years in prison for the Lusignan and Bartica massacres, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment Thursday after he admitted to gunning two men during a 2007 robbery at Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara.

Caesar known as ‘Capone,’ appeared via a Zoom hearing before High Court Judge Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall; he was initially charged with two counts of murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Caesar admitted that on December 16, 2007, he unlawfully killed Fazil Hakim, called ‘Boyie’, and Rajesh Singh, called ‘Rabbit’ at a liquor bar on Agriculture Road.

The Judge, in her sentencing Thursday, started it at 36 years but considered that Caesar is already serving prison time with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

She also considered that Caesar spent 11 years on remand awaiting trial and as such, she deducted 10 years for his early guilty plea. As such, he was sentenced to 13 years for each offence which will run concurrently.

Caesar also pleaded guilty to two armed robbery charges committed on Juman and Ravindra Mookram which occurred during the same incident. For these offences, he was sentenced to nine years each and it will run concurrently.

The state was represented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy and Tyra Bakker while Caesar was represented by Attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay.

In March 2009, Caesar was arrested by authorities in Suriname and was handed over to Guyanese Police.

Prosecutor Hardy informed the Court that Caesar was charged jointly with notorious criminal Royden ‘Smallie’ Williams.

Caesar is currently serving a 45 and 60 years prison sentence after he had pleaded guilty to 20 counts of manslaughter relating to Lusignan and Bartica massacres in January and February 2008. These sentences are concurrent.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story initially stated that the defendant was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for the manslaughter offences when it was actually 13 years. The story has been amended to reflect accuracy. The News Room apologies for any inconvenience caused.