Less than a week after his trial for the murder of an elderly man commenced before a 12-member jury at the Demerara High Court, Sherwin Clarke called “Hot Skull” on Tuesday changed his ‘not guilty’ plea to ‘guilty’.
Upon his arraignment last Friday before Justice Sandil Kissoon, Clarke, who was indicted for the capital offence of murder, pleaded not guilty to the charge and his trial thereafter commenced.
He, however, appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon and opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He thereby admitted that he killed 76-year-old David Ramkissoon also known as “Short Man” on August 21, 2016, during the course/ furtherance of a robbery.
In light of his guilty plea, Justice Kissoon directed the jury to return a formal guilty verdict. A sentencing hearing for Clarke is scheduled for June 30 at 15:30h.
State Counsel Muntaz Ali and State Counsel Taneisha Saygon are appearing for the prosecution, while Attorney-at-Law Damien Da Silva is representing the confessed killer.
Ramkissoon was discovered in a pool of blood in the bottom flat of his 61 Better Hope, South, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home where he lived with his son, his son’s wife, and his two grandsons.
He was found with his throat slit. An undisclosed sum of cash was missing from his home.
Last month, 29-year-old Godfrey Gill called “Chucky” who confessed to the brutal killing of Ramkissoon was sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.
Like Clarke, Gill, who was indicted for murder, opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence.