20 years jail for man who stabbed Cornelia Ida woman to death

A 45-year-old fisherman was on Thursday sentenced to 20 years imprisonment after he confessed to the fatal stabbing and rape of 65-year-old Bibi Keniez at her Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home in 2016.

Jaipaul Hitlall, called ‘Latta’ formerly of Anna Catherina, Sea View, WCD, is on trial for murder before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court, where a 12-member jury was empanelled.

However, during the trial on Thursday, Hitlall opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The trial was aborted and Hitlall’s plea was taken.

Hitlall admitted that between October 2 and October 3, 2016, at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, he killed Keniez in the course or furtherance of a rape. According to Hitlall, he was under the influence of alcohol when went into the elderly woman’s house and had non-consensual sex with her.

State Prosecutor, Tyra Bakker asked the court to consider that Hitlall went into the home of the victim and committed the heinous act, after which he stabbed her 21 times.

The Judge, after considering the case, sentenced Hitlall to serve 20 years imprisonment.

In November 2019, Hitlall was sentenced to serve 20 years jail by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, for raping a woman on December 29, 2016, at Cornelia Ida.

It was during this investigation that Hitlall was arrested for the murder of Keniez. The elderly woman’s lifeless body was found in a hammock with 21 stab wounds.