15 years in jail for Matthews Ridge man who killed drinking buddy over oral sex

34-year-old Eustace Abrams was on Monday sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on a manslaughter charge by Justice Brassington Reynolds. Initially indicted for the capital offence of murder, a jury found Abrams guilty on the lesser count of manslaughter following a trial at the High Court in Demerara.

The charge against Abrams, a father of four, stated that on June 15, 2017, at Jack and Vieira Backdam, North West District (NWD), he unlawfully killed Orlando La Cruz. From the 15-year prison term, Justice Reynolds ordered the prison authority to deduct the time Abrams spent in pre-trial detention.

According to reports, on the day in question, La Cruz was shot after he refused to perform oral sex on Joseph Kerr. At the time of the incident, the three men were consuming alcohol at Jack and Vieira Backdam, North West District.

Shortly after drinking, Kerr was reportedly heard asking La Cruz to perform oral sex on him to which the man refused. The three men then began to argue and it was then that Kerr collected a cartridge from Abrams, loaded his shotgun, and placed the weapon to the right side of La Cruz’s neck.

He then pulled the trigger. Kerr and Abrams made good their escape after the shooting. The injured man was then taken to the Matthews Ridge Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Kerr, 57, was earlier this month charged with La Cruz’s murder. He appeared in court and was remanded to prison.