Long jail sentences will send a message to the criminals PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 25 May 2012 22:44
TAXI drivers must be able to work in peace, Judge Roxanne George announced Thursday, as she sentenced two killers to 30 years imprisonment each, telling them that she hopes they would benefit from skills acquired while in jail. Murder accused Anandram Dharamraj, called Alvin, and Naresh Boodhoo, called Allu, had offered a plea of not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter, after their confession statements to the police had been admitted in evidence by Justice George.
Noting that it was said that the accused had come from a poor family, Justice George said that “poverty does not give persons the right to rob and kill people.”
The countdown to justice has started already since a 20-year-old India rapist killer pleaded to the lesser count of manslaughter but was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crime.
These two killers were sentenced to 30 years each for killing of a taxi driver despite pleading to the lesser count of manslaughter.
The judge in this case must be given full credit in stating that “poverty does not give persons the right to rob and kill people.”
Ask the hard-working, honest, decent-minded innocent citizens of Guyana how they feel about taking at least three convicted killers out of society for a long time  and they will say ‘good and great’.
It's sad to know how some other killers killed and appeared in court, pleaded  to the lesser count of manslaughter, but only to receive eight years in prison.
Thirty years maximum should be the law of the land for all killers and nothing less regardless of race, colour, creed, religion or even if they are from the so called depressed communities.
As the judge said, poverty does not give persons the right to rob and kill.
The justice system must now see fit to deal with the low-life, house jumpers and pick-pocket choke and robbers on the streets of Guyana.
Long jail sentences will not completely stop these criminals. However, once caught, very stern jail sentences will go a very long way to not only keep these parasites off the streets but to send a clear message to would-be criminals that they will not be tolerated amongst civil society any longer.
 

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