Former Police Special Constable Jermain Bristol was Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 35 years for fatally stabbing his reputed wife.
Bristol was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.
Last month, Bristol was arraigned for the capital offence of murder but opted to plea to the lesser count of manslaughter.
He admitted that on August 22, 2018 at Freeman Street, East La Penitence Georgetown he unlawfully killed Shenece Lawrence, 24.
The State was represented by prosecutor Muntaz Ali, while Bristol was represented by attorney Everton Singh-Lammy.
During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Justice Kissoon said, “The degree of force that was applied reflects your intention was to kill and to bring an end to the life of the deceased.”
He added that the frequency and prevalence of intimate-partner violence continue unabated and is of grave concern to the justice system and to members of society who are confronted with the anguish, the suffering, and the loss of their loved ones.
Taking all the aforementioned into consideration and the need to deter like-minded offenders from committing the “abominable crime,” the Judge sentenced Bristol to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 35 years.
Bristol cried throughout his court appearance while telling the court that he was sorry for his actions.
On August 22, 2018, police found Lawrence’s body with the knife stuck in her neck at the home she had shared with Bristol.
Bristol later walked to the Brickdam Police Station and turned himself over to the police after committing the brutal crime.
The young woman and Bristol shared a five-year relationship and started to live together two months prior to her death but things went sour and she moved out.
She returned on the same day when she met her demise. The Post Mortem Examination (PME) performed by Dr Nehal Singh revealed that Lawrence died from multiple stab wounds to the neck.
