Already on death row, Bartica massacre convict gets another death sentence for soldier’s murder

Thirty-two-year-old Mark Royden Williams, who is currently serving death sentences for the killing of 12 persons at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) in 2008, was on Thursday, handed another death sentence for the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Corporal Ivor Williams.

Mark Williams, also known as, ‘Smallie’, a father of three, was indicted in July for the January 23, 2008 murder of the soldier which occurred at Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Reports are that around 20:30h on the day in question, several armed men who were part of the notorious Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins gang ambushed a GDF vehicle returning to Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown from an administrative duty in Berbice.

The gunmen engaged the soldiers in a shoot-out during which Corporal Williams was fatally shot and relieved of his service firearm.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, presiding Judge Sandil Kissoon sentenced Mark Williams to death by hanging for the “shocking, brutal, horrific, violent and premeditated” murder.

According to the Judge, Mark Williams and his accomplices designed and calculated a trap to ambush and “murder in mass” members of the Disciplined Forces who were acting in the lawful execution of their duties to preserve, and maintain calm in Buxton and neighbouring villages.

Highlighting that Mark Williams and his accomplices went on a “killing spree” across Guyana, he said that they unleashed terror in their attempt to undermine the rule of law.

Justice Kissoon said that the court has to impose a sentence that is commensurate with the serious nature of the crime while noting that Corporal Williams was murdered for no other reasons other than the fact that he was a member of the Disciplined Forces who swore to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution of Guyana.

Alluding to Mark Williams’ “path of violent existence” which he has pursued with much “enthusiasm”, Justice Kissoon imposed the death sentence on the mass killer.

The convicted killer was represented by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, while State Counsel Muntaz Ali and State Counsel Taneisha Sagon appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

In 2017, Mark Williams and another man, Dennis Williams called ‘Anaconda’ were sentenced to death after they were found guilty by a 12-member jury of killing 12 persons including three Police ranks during the 2008 Bartica massacre.

Those killed were Police officers Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir; and Constables Shane Fredericks and Ron Osborne; and civilians Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Deonarine Singh, Abdool Yasseen, Errol Thomas, and Baldeo Singh.

The men have since appealed their conviction and sentence to the Guyana Court of Appeal.