Enmore labourer Errol Khan was yesterday morning handed a life sentence for the May 2, 2014 murder of a man with whose wife he had a relationship.
Finding that there were no factors to mitigate the sentence, Justice Brassington Reynolds imposed the sentence on a visibly distressed Khan, 46, whom he noted snuffed out the life of Chaitram Bharrat.
The judge noted that in the dead of night, Khan who had climbed through a window to the couple’s house, dealt several blows to the sleeping man with a chopper, causing him to die instantly.
It has been ordered that he is not to be eligible for parole until after serving 30 years.
In a bid to mitigate his client’s sentence, defence attorney Ravindra Mohabir pointed to a probation report that Khan was sorry for what he had done and the loss of life, while underscoring that not only had he expressed remorse, but had asked for forgiveness.
He begged for the court’s mercy on behalf of his client, while again referencing the probation report, from which he said it was clear that Khan’s father who was an alcoholic did not provide positive influence for him from a tender age.
Noting his client’s good behaviour in prison, Mohabir asked that he be afforded an opportunity to participate in a programme, which would allow him to make meaningful contributions while behind bars and also ensure his reintegration to society.
Probation and Social Services Officer Mahesia Granville, by whom the report was read, said that the father of four was described by members of his community as a violent alcoholic and drug addict of whom many were afraid.
She said Khan, who had been convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment on three previous occasions on charges of assault, was well known in the community for his criminal nature and had been heard threatening to kill his family.
She said that few in the community described him as helpful.
Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs, in an impassioned plea, had asked the judge to impose a sentence which would reflect the nature and gravity of the offence.
She said Khan deprived Bharrat his right to life by a heartless act when he invaded the sanctity of the man’s home and butchered him with a chopper. “He had no mercy on him [Bharrat] as he slept,” Gibbs said.
She also asked the court to take into account as aggravating factors Khan’s previous antecedents and the fact that he is “no stranger to violence.”
The prosecutor said that while Mohabir had asked for leniency and expressed optimism of his client being rehabilitated, a strong message needed to be sent to potential offenders.
Before imposing the sentence, the judge told Khan that he was getting no credit for the issues his lawyer said he had to face in his early socialisation. “You are an adult and you are free to make your own choices,” Justice Reynolds said.
Having considered all the circumstances of the case, the judge imposed a sentence of life in prison, ordering that Khan is not to become eligible for parole until after he would have spent 30 years behind bars.
On February 25, Khan was convicted by a jury of the capital offence.
His sentence had, however, been deferred for a probation report.
Khan was involved with Bharrat’s wife and it was the state’s case that the killing was a result of the relationship.
