Sharief Bacchus, 45, who is accused of stabbing a Chinese national to death during an altercation at the Meadow Bank Wharf, Georgetown in 2017, was arraigned for the offence at the Demerara High Court on Tuesday.
Bacchus, also called “Choka Dhall”, formerly of Albouystown, Georgetown, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The indictment detailed that on July 20, 2017, he unlawfully killed 42-year-old Chan Wen Wong, called “Chiney Man”, of Lot 14 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.
“Chiney Man” was a former chef at a city restaurant and later became a fisherman; he was plying his trade at the Meadow Bank Wharf at the time he was killed.
Based on reports, the now dead man and the accused, both fishermen, were involved in a heated argument which quickly escalated into an altercation.
Other fishermen in the area parted the combatants, and Wong opted to walk away from his adversary.
However, when he was some distance away, Bacchus ran after him, whipped out a sharp object and dealt him one blow to his chest before making good his escape.
The injured Wong reportedly fell to the ground, but was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Justice Sandil Kissoon, who heard the matter, accepted the guilty plea of the now convicted man and thereby sentenced him to 18 years in prison for the offence.
