…says “better yuh chuck in yuh gloves than beat around the bush”
Almost one year after being sentenced to 65 years in prison for the brutal execution of his brother-in-law, Clifton Bonus, on June 3, 2011, Lakeraj Fredricks was on Monday given an additional 22 years to his sentence for the unlawful killing of another relative.
Fredricks, a father of two was handed his additional prison term by Justice Sandhill Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.
The accused admitted to murdering Vernon Romaldo- a relative of his.
He had reportedly stabbed the man to his chest at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara during a late night drinking spree on June 10, 2011, resulting in his [Romaldo’s] death one day later.
In pleading to the lesser count of manslaughter, Fredericks told the court that three of them were all drinking rum that he bought.
He apologised to Romaldo’s relatives saying that he wasn’t in his right frame of mind.
Further, as he begged for mercy, the 38-year-old man said that ‘a man who confesses his sins shall gain forgiveness.’
However, Justice Kissoon told the court that Frederick’s actions were premeditated, given that both killings stemmed from disputes over his marijuana cultivation.
After receiving his sentence, and while being led away in shackles, the now baptised Fredricks said that he had expected leniency.
“When a man confess to whatsoever he do, you know, he supposed to be given lil leniency but better yuh chuck in yuh gloves than beat around the bush…” he told reporters.
Further, Fredricks said that he will continue on his road to turn his life around, while indicating that he will stop using marijuana.
“Well I will be going to Church, living a life in prison and ah glad God find me in prison and ah gon live my life good in prison because I already live seven years there and I don’t have a problem…I gon do as best as I could with my life from this time hay because time is catching up in life and I have to do the right thing,” he said.
Fredricks was initially charged with shooting his brother-in-law twice to the head with a .32 calibre pistol at a marijuana field at Old England Backdam, Linden.
At that time, a 16-year-old accomplice was also charged for allegedly assisting the convicted murderer in burying Bonus’ body.
However, the teen was released after a no-case submission was upheld in the Magistrate’s Court.
