Devon Chacon, who had been on remand since 2016 for the October 20, 2016 murder of Abdool Ameer Subrati, was on Tuesday released on time served after pleading guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
Time served refers to the amount of time a defendant spent in jail awaiting trial or a guilty plea.
The confessed killer, of Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), was arraigned before Justice Navindra Singh.
He was represented by Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels, and Sophia Findlay, while State Counsel Tuanna Hardy appeared for the prosecution.
Media reports are that 44-year-old Subrati, a father of two, was shot after gunmen invaded a house at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.
During the ordeal, Subrati, according to the police, “put up a struggle” with one of the gunmen. He was shot to the neck and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he died following surgery. He was a driver at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation.
In a plea of mitigation, Daniels told the court that his client is 27-years-old and worked as a miner before his incarceration.
The lawyer begged the court to consider the fact that this was his client’s first offence, and that he took the earliest opportunity to plead guilty. Also, defence counsel noted that there has been no bad report from the prison about his client.
After passing sentence, the Judge advised Chacon to see his release as a second chance at life and to stay out of trouble.
Justice Singh informed that Chacon was sentenced to time served based on a discussion had between the prosecutor and defence counsel.
The Judge, however, did not go into details about the discussion. This matter was heard at the High Court in Demerara.
