Cabbage farmer Rickland Bovell has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for the 2019 stabbing death of Timehri youth David Toney; and for also wounding the father of the deceased during an altercation.
Following the presentation of probation and other social impact reports yesterday, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow imposed the sentence.
Bovell had been originally indicted for the capital offence of murder.
At his arraignment last November, however, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
While he denied the charge of murder, he admitted guilt to manslaughter, accepting that on April 19th, 2019; he unlawfully killed Toney.
The now 26-year-old had also pleaded guilty to wounding Toney’s father—Mark Toney.
Justice Barlow sentenced the offender to 10 years in prison for the death of David; and six years for felonious wounding for wounding his father.
The judge has ordered, however, that the sentences be served concurrently.
Bovell, formerly of Swan Village, East Bank Demerara, committed the crime during an altercation at the Timehri Docks, over payment for loading produce onto a truck.
Background
The prosecution’s case had been that on the day in question, around 3.30 am, during an argument with the now-deceased and his parents regarding payment for cabbages, Bovell pulled out a knife and stabbed the 18-year-old.
The teen was subsequently rushed to the Diamond Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It had been previously reported that the deceased sustained a single stab wound to his abdomen during the argument regarding payment for the loading of cabbage onto a truck.
