10 years jail for ‘Crack’ who killed rice farmer during armed robbery

Paul James, also known as ‘Crack’, was on Thursday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after confessing to killing rice farmer 42-year-old Hardat Kissoon in 2015 at University of Guyana Access Road, Greater Georgetown.

Kissoon had just left a city bank with a bag of cash when he was shot and killed in the back seat of a minibus.

James, formerly of Durban Street, Lodge was arraigned before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder but he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter which read that on June 1, 2015, he murdered Kissoon.

James was represented by Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson while the State’s case was presented by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy.

Thompson told the court that while on remand James has managed to turn his life around and was able to secure four certificates in various courses.

According to reports, at 14:35h on June 1, at Turkeyen Public Road, Kissoon, was shot and killed.

Kissoon was travelling in a minibus when another man in the vehicle requested to get off.

As the man was passing Kissoon who was still seated in the minibus, he pulled out a firearm, held the rice farmer at gunpoint and demanded a bag of money that he had in his possession.

During a struggle over the bag, Kissoon was shot in the chest while the perpetrator made good his escape with the bag of money.

Kissoon laid dead in the back seat of the minibus until his body was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead on arrival.

The State’s case is that James was at Scotiabank conducting business when he saw Kissoon withdrawing money and placing it into the bag.

Based on information, James filtered the information to another person, who carried out the fatal act on Kissoon.

According to prosecutor Hardy, James’s role was the first step that led to the death of Kissoon.

Justice Singh, after considering James’ plea, sentenced him to serve 10 years imprisonment and ordered that the prison authorities deduct the time he spent on remand.