27th of October, 2021. Region 9, Guyana, South America
Last updated: October 27, 2021 at 12:19 pmA 21-year-old laborer of Tabatinga, Lethem, Region 9, Guyana, South America has been sentenced to 18 months for wounding another man, but residents of the Rupununi who are familiar with both persons are crying out that the sentencing is unjust.
According to a news article by Guyana Daily News, 21-year-old Morsen Alexander was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wounding Samuel Stephens after a trial at the Lethem Magistrate Court found Alexander guilty.
However, a prominent resident of the Rupununi highlighted on local media that the wounded man, Samuel Stephens, is a known thief who had stolen a bicycle from Alexander over the weekend. Alexander reportedly caught Stephens in the act of trying to sell the bicycle and forcefully took it back. Stephens retaliated by ambushing Alexander along the Tabatinga Creek in the night and physically assaulted him. The next day, Alexander attempted to get even by shooting Stephens with a slingshot – for which he was tried and sentenced to 18-months in prison.
Residents of the Rupununi have commented that this judgement is biased and one-sided. Some say that the defendant, Samuel Stephens, have “contacts” in the legal arena and as such was not charged for robbery while Alexander was put away for “standing up for himself.”
Here are some comments from persons familiar with the incident and the people involved.
Source: Rupununi News Online. See: Original Post on Rupununi News Online
