Corwyn Arthur, known as ‘Cross Eye’, who confessed to fatally stabbing his ex-lover’s husband in 2018, at Amelia’s Ward, Linden, was on Monday sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the crime.
Arthur, formerly of Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court. Last month, Arthur was arraigned for the capital offence of murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
He admitted that on May 10, 2018, at Amelia’s Ward, Linden, he unlawfully killed Claude DeJonge. The State was represented by prosecutors Tyra Bakker and Lisa Cave, while Arthur was represented by attorney-at-law, Rachael Bakker.
On Monday, a probation report was read in court, which stated that Arthur had an absentee father and had no role model while growing up. At 18, Arthur joined the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and after seven years of service, he left and went into construction.
Arthur’s family described him as “caring and helpful” but noted that he has an anger problem. The prison authorities stated that behind bars, Arthur is helpful and carries the role of an orderly.
His attorney, during plea of mitigation, asked the court to consider that while behind bars, her client has begun the process of turning his life around by attending anger management classes.
Prosecutor Cave, however, asked the court to consider the nature and gravity of the crime and the fact that a weapon was used. In his address to the court, Arthur begged for a second chance and apologised for his actions.
The judge considered the prevalence of homicide in society and the need to send a strong message to deter like-minded persons from committing similar acts. He also considered the probation report which was in favour of Arthur.
In the end, Justice Kissoon sentenced Arthur to 15 years imprisonment and ordered that the prison authorities to deduct time spent on remand from the sentence.
The News Room had reported that DeJonge shared a common-law relationship with 35-year-old Tanya Samuels for about 11 years.
However, during this time, it is alleged that the woman also shared a relationship with Arthur, which she ended in December 2017. Following the separation, the News Room was told that Arthur would still visit the woman’s home “as a family friend.”
On May 10, 2018, it is reported that DeJonge was asleep with his reputed wife when Arthur gained entry through an open window and confronted him in the bed.
The two ended up in a fight, during which, Arthur dealt DeJonge three stab wounds with a knife while allegedly shouting: “I gone kill you, I want you soul, me gone murder you”.
Samuels witnessed the horrific ordeal and alerted neighbours with her screams. DeJonge was found motionless next to the front door in a pool of blood, with stab wounds to his neck, left shoulder and abdomen.
