Mason Convicted of Manslaughter in Sophia Fatal Stabbing 

October 16, 2024 – A 29-year-old mason, Randy Willings, was found guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday for the 2021 fatal stabbing of Kevin Smith, a handyman from Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The verdict was delivered by a jury at the Demerara High Court, presided over by Justice Jo Ann Barlow.

Initially indicted for murder, Willings was acquitted of that charge but convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

The case, prosecuted by State Counsel Mikel Puran, saw Willings represented by attorney Kiswana Jefford. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 6, 2024, and Willings will remain on remand until then.

The incident occurred on February 8, 2021, when an altercation between Willings and Smith erupted at ‘C’ Field Reserve Dam in Sophia.

During the confrontation, Willings, armed with a knife, stabbed Smith three times—once in the chest, once in the lower abdomen, and once above the left knee—before fleeing the scene. Smith was pronounced dead shortly after emergency responders arrived.

Willings was arrested and initially charged with murder. The case was first heard by Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where a preliminary inquiry determined there was sufficient evidence to commit Willings to stand trial at the High Court.

The trial, which lasted several days, culminated in the jury’s decision to convict Willings of manslaughter, marking the latest development in a case that has gripped the Sophia community.