Man, 80, confessed to killing wife in 2012

Eighty-year-old Gordon Durant on Monday confessed to the gruesome killing of his wife, Joan Durant whose lifeless body was found buried in the bathroom of their Melanie North, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home in 2012.

Gordon appeared before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He admitted to unlawfully killing his 50-year-old wife between June 26-28, 2012.

The elderly man was represented by attorney-at-law Dexter Smartt while the state was represented by prosecutors Latifiah Elliot, Marisa Edwards and Simran Gajraj.

Justice Barlow deferred sentencing until September 15 and ordered that a probation report be prepared for Gordon.

According to reports, Joan’s decomposed body was found in an unfinished bathroom in the couple’s three-bedroom single-flat house on June 28, 2012, two days after she was reported missing by relatives.

Gordon had reportedly told the woman’s relative that his wife had packed a bag and moved out of the family home on June 26, 2012. It is alleged that Gordon was abusive towards his wife

When arrested by police, Gordon reportedly admitted to killing his wife because she had threatened to leave him.