Court upholds wife killer’s conviction but sets aside death sentence

Rupert Browne

The Guyana Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the conviction of Rupert Browne for the 2011 murder of his common-law wife, Seema Singh, but set aside the death sentence imposed upon him.

The appellate court instead imposed a sentence of 25 years, ordering that deductions be made therefrom for time Browne has spent in pre-trial custody.

Acting Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who heard the matter along with Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, said the court found that the trial judge could have used his discretion to impose a prison term instead of the death penalty.