Wife killer gets 19 years jail

Wazim Perreira known as ‘Johnny’ was on Monday sentenced to serve 19 years behind bars for the murder of his reputed wife, Olivia DeFreitas who suffered second-degree burns after being doused with gasoline and set on fire.

Perreira, 31, formerly of North Sophia, Georgetown was sentenced by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Georgetown High Court on Monday.

Perreira had admitted to the murder which occurred on October 10, 2019, in Georgetown. DeFreitas had ended the relationship with Perreira due to his abusive behaviour.

On September 9, 2019, Perreira visited DeFreitas’ home and sought to speak with her. When she declined, he left but later returned with gasoline, which he used to douse her before igniting the fatal fire.

DeFreitas sustained second-degree burns to her face, abdomen, chest, and back. She endured this horrific ordeal for over a month before succumbing to her injuries.

During the sentencing hearing, Justice Morris-Ramlall described the attack as premeditated, having occurred in the presence of the victim’s minor brother.

DeFreitas suffered burns to 35-40% of her body, which resulted in her extended hospitalisation and eventual death.

“I have considered the impact of the commission of the offence on the surviving family of the deceased. Her minor children have now lost the care of both of their parents…The brother of the deceased has also been seriously impacted. He remains traumatised, having witnessed the gruesome attack on his sister,” the Judge said.

Given these aggravating factors, Justice Morris-Ramlall did not find significant mitigating factors for Perreira’s sentence.

His mental evaluation highlighted personality traits characterised by manipulation, hostility, aggression, and impulsiveness, prompting the recommendation for continuous psychiatric attention.

Ultimately, the Judge imposed a 19-year prison sentence with instructions for the deduction of time spent in pretrial custody.

Perreira was also ordered to continue undergoing anger management counselling. He was represented by attorney Adrian Thompson, while the State was represented by Madana Rampersaud.

Perreira is no stranger to the court; he was released from prison in 2019 after serving 18 months in jail for escaping from the Kitty Police Station.

In 2015, he was charged with attempted murder, but the charge was later dismissed after he compensated the victim.