A construction worker was today sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter committed on his drinking companion whose body was found floating in a New Amsterdam canal in January, 2020.
In February, 2020, Jerry Heeralall was charged with the murder of Cleon Outar.
The charge alleged that between January 25, 2020 and January 27, 2020, at Republic Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Heeralall murdered Outar, 28, a labourer of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
Heeralall, who was represented by attorney at law, Tuanna Hardy, today appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Berbice where he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
He told the court that he was sorry for what had transpired and he pleaded that it would never happen again.
Justice Singh started his sentence at thirty years but deducted ten years for the man’s early plea. The judge then added that he did not find the defendant to be genuinely remorseful and that the probation report was not favourable. As such “in this regard I find that there are no other mitigating or aggravating factors to consider”. He was thereafter sentenced to 20 years. The time spent on remand is to be deducted from his 20-year sentence.
Stabroek News had previously reported that the two men had been consuming alcohol at a bar in Berbice but following a misunderstanding it was said that Heeralall dealt Outar several lashes about his body. Outar was pushed into a nearby trench after the assault. His body was discovered on January 27th by passers-by and they then alerted the police of the discovery.
Stabroek News was told that Outar was last seen on the evening of January 25th consuming alcohol at a bar in New Amsterdam with his wife, Heeralall and another friend.
Investigators were initially told that Outar was involved in a fight with two unknown men at the bar during which he sustained an injury to his face. The four then reportedly left the bar and went their separate ways.
After gathering information, the police called in Heeralall and the other friend for questioning. During interrogation, Heeralall reportedly told investigators that he and Outar had a misunderstanding after he requested that Outar’s wife drink with him, to which Outar objected.
A post-mortem examination was done and it revealed that Outar died from asphyxiation compounded by a fractured skull and multiple trauma to the body.
