Nine years jail for Kato resident who chopped friend to death

A 31-year-old miner was on Tuesday sentenced to nine years imprisonment after he confessed to fatally chopping his drinking partner Ryan Simon on December 26, 2015, at Kato Village, North Pakaraimas.

Elvis Felix, known as ‘Blondie’ of Kato Village, was charged with the capital offence of murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon via a Zoom hearing.

The State was represented by Prosecutor Lisa Cave while Felix was represented by attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir.

A probation report detailed that the victim – Simon – was the cousin of Felix’s wife.  Both men are known to each other since they worked together and were drinking buddies.

On the day in question, the men were at a shop in the village consuming alcohol when an argument ensued. The argument led to Simon attacking Felix with a knife but friends intervened and stopped the fight.

According to the probation report, Felix said he left the shop and went home, but later in the night, Simon threw missiles on his rooftop.

Felix then ventured outside with a cutlass and confronted Simon during which Simon attacked him with a piece of wood.

According to Felix, he chopped Simon to the head in an act of self-defence.

The Probation Officer, in conclusion, said Simon was a young man with two children whose life was brought to a tragic end.

“The accused has indicated remorse and having spent over four years on remand seems to be on the road to rehabilitation according to Prison reports. Nonetheless, a capital offence was committed and as a civilized society we cannot be perusing vendettas but allow the law to protect us if we suffer transgression,” the Probation Officer told the court.