Man who beat, strangled reputed wife jailed for 18 years

Daniel Watson and his reputed wife Lowtie Atwaroo, in happier times

Daniel Watson, the 41-year-old Herstelling, East Bank Demerara man who beat and strangled his reputed wife, was on Thursday, sentenced to 18 years in prison for her killing.  This was after Watson, who was indicted for murder, pleaded not guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter at the Demerara High Court.

He confessed that on May 21, 2018, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, he unlawfully killed Lowtie “Mona” Atwaroo.  It was reported that Atwaroo ended an abusive relationship she shared for years with Watson. She moved out and went to live at her father’s residence in the same village.

On the day in question, Atwaroo visited Watson. Soon after, neighbours heard her screaming. When they went to check on her, they saw Waston submerging her in a trench. It was reported that he strangled his estranged reputed wife. He fled the scene but was subsequently arrested by the Police.

Waston, in his address to the court, begged the dead woman’s family for forgiveness. In sentencing the confessed killer, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon took into consideration the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Guyana and the court’s duty to impose a sentence that will serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons.

Justice Kissoon described the woman’s killing as “brutal and gruesome”. Presenting the case for the prosecution were State Counsel Lisa Cave and State Counsel Muntaz Ali, while Attorney-at-law Teriq Mohammed appeared on behalf of Watson.