God brother of British teen sentenced to death

(Murderers Aaron Hing and Staymon George; Victim Dominic Bernard)

Aaron Hing called ‘Neutral’ the godbrother of a British teenager, Dominic Bernard who was found buried in a shallow grave in the backlands at Nurney, Corentyne, Berbice back in 2016, was on Friday found guilty of murder. Hing, 31, had been on trial at the High Court in Berbice for the teen’s brutal murder.

On Friday morning, trial Judge Sandil Kissoon summed up the evidence and then put the case to the jury for deliberation on a verdict. The jurors returned with the unanimous guilty verdict just after 15:00 hours.

When asked if he had anything to say in response to the verdict, Hing said, “To God be the glory. No matter the situation God will always get praise all time.”

Aaron Hing during sentencing

Linda Bernard, the mother of Dominic Bernard hurled accusations at Hing. She told the 31-year-old: “You dug my son’s grave before his arrival. You lured him to beat him to death…my son fought you back for his life. You did not confront Dominic like a man…you came at him from behind. What a lowlife coward you are. You throw my boy into the grave you dug and you buried him. You are a father…my son’s life was taken in a heinous way. You are a fool and a liar who will never know freedom again. You are a murderer.”

The grieving mother thanked the court for ensuring that her son’s killer is brought to justice.

Andrew Bernard, Dominic Bernard’s father, told Hing: “Aaron I can’t tell you how my heart is broken. I was the one who picked you up from the hospital with your mother and father when you were a baby. Your accomplice [George] was man enough to admit to the crime. But you continued with six years of denial. You were the architect of the brutal murder of your godbrother.”

The father of the victim added: “You are a liar, you are a murderer. If you are prepared to do such a crime, you should be able to do the time.”

Hing’s lawyer asked for his client’s sentencing to be deferred to facilitate the compilation of a probation report. Justice Kissoon, however, noted that a probation report will not assist Hing.

Justice Kissoon, in his sentencing, remarks said that no sentence imposed on Hing can dilute the pain and suffering Dominic Bernard’s brutal murder has caused his family. “You are unfit to dwell among other human beings,” Justice Kissoon told Hing who he later sentenced to suffering death by a manner prescribed in law.

The State was represented by Special prosecutor Attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat.

Hing and his friend, 30-year-old Staymon George had been jointly charged with the teen’s murder. However, in October, George pleaded guilty to the charge when he was brought before Justice Kissoon and he was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve 35 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Dominic Bernard had travelled from England to Guyana on October 14, 2015, to visit his godbrother and pursue his film-making career. However, his father, Andrew Bernard was unable to make contact with him after he left the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Worried about his son, the older Bernard travelled to Guyana and on January 8, 2016, Dominic’s Bernard badly decomposed body was found in the backlands at Nurney, Corentyne, Berbice. DNA tests confirmed that the remains were indeed his.

It was reported that the teen was bludgeoned to death hours after he arrived in Guyana. The teen was then buried in a shallow grave that was dug days before his arrival.

During the trial, it was disclosed that Hing wanted to “get back at” Dominic Bernard who he claimed got him arrested while he was in England. As such, he hatched a plan to rob the teenager of cash and other items he was travelling with.

Meanwhile, two women, including the mother of Hing’s child and a man are expected to go on trial at a later date for helping Hing and George murder the British teenager.

The trio- Krystal Thomas, called ‘Kathy’, 28, Jahmeil Sinclair, called ‘Fross’, or ‘Bacchus’, 27, and Sinfine Henry, called ‘Coreen,’ 47, are charged with accessory to murder. They were each released on $300,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of their trial.