Life sentence for man who killed newspaper vendor during robbery

Norlando Brown, formerly of Bush Lot, Essequibo has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Queenstown, Essequibo Coast newspaper vendor, Shawn Mannilall during a robbery.

Brown, 29, was indicted before Essequibo High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon for the January 10, 2020 murder of 48-year-old Mannilall but midway through his trial, he opted to plead guilty.

During the convicted killer’s sentencing hearing on Friday, the now-dead man’s daughter described Brown as a “ruthless monster” and asked the court to impose a strict sentence on him.

For his part, Justice Kissoon remarked that Mannilall was brutally murdered by Brown and his accomplices during a robbery that was meticulously planned and carried out.

According to him, the vendor was killed in the presence of his family members and at his home where he should have been the safest.

Considering the prevalence of unlawful killings during the course of robberies, the factual circumstances of the case, and the serious nature of the crime, Justice Kissoon said that the life sentence is the most appropriate punishment for this violent felony.

The convict must serve a minimum of 30 years before he is considered eligible for parole. From this tariff, the prison was ordered to deduct the time Brown spent on remand awaiting trial.

He was initially charged with the crime on January 28, 2020 and remanded to prison.

Brown was represented by Attorney-at-Law Damien DaSilva while State Counsel Latifah Elliot presented the case for the prosecution.

It was previously reported that Mannilall was shot and killed in his home after he attempted to fend off two men, both armed with a gun and a cutlass, who invaded his home.

The attack occurred just around 20:00 hours.  According to reports, Mannilall and his family were about to enter their home when they were confronted by the bandits.

Mannilall was then shot in his chest, shoulder, and the right side of his abdomen, causing him to fall after which both men made good their escape.

The injured man was pronounced dead on arrival at the Suddie Public Hospital.