‘Hot Skull’ gets life sentence for killing pensioner in home invasion

Sherwin Clarke called “Hot Skull” was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a pensioner during a robbery at the elderly man’s home back in 2016.

The man, who had initially pleaded not guilty to a murder charge over the death of David Ramkissoon, 76, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter mid-way through his trial.

He thereby admitted that he killed Ramkissoon also known as “Short Man” and “Dillip” on August 21, 2016, during the course/ furtherance of a robbery.

During a sentencing hearing, Demerara High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon described the killing of the pensioner as an “abominable” and “violent” crime.

Given the prevalence of such offences in society, the Judge said that the rule of law warrants a severe penalty.

After imposing a life sentence on the killer, Judge Kissoon ordered that he only becomes eligible for parole after serving 20 years in prison, and that be given full credit for the six years he spent in pre-trial custody.

State Counsel Muntaz Ali and State Counsel Taneisha Saygon appeared for the prosecution, while Attorney-at-Law Damien Da Silva represented the confessed killer.

Ramkissoon was discovered in a pool of blood with his throat slit in the bottom flat of his Better Hope, South, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home where he lived with his son, his son’s wife, and his two grandsons. An undisclosed sum of cash was missing from his home.

In April, 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.