Court of Appeal reduces murder convict's sentence from 88-year sentence
Updated: May 28, 2022
Jermaine Maynard, who was sentenced to 88 years’ imprisonment back in 2016 for murdering his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend had his sentence today reduced to 46 years by the Court of Appeal (COA).
Following a trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court, a jury found Maynard guilty of the charge, which stated that he murdered Carlissa Matthews between December 31, 2013, and January 1, 2014, at Croal Street, Georgetown.
Dissatisfied with the decision of the High Court, Maynard moved to the Court of Appeal, claiming that the trial judge made several errors in law when summing up the evidence to the jury.
The appeal was heard by Chancellor (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.
In delivering, the ruling of the court, the Chancellor (ag) said, among other things, that the trial judge erred in the determination of the term of sentence.
As a result, the sentence was reduced to 46 years. On December 31, 2013, Matthews was standing in front of a fast-food outlet in the Stabroek area when Maynard approached and asked to speak with her.
At the time, Matthews, who was in the company of relatives and friends, walked away and chatted with Maynard before he whipped out a gun and shot her to the head.
The woman, who fell to the ground, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she died the following day.
Maynard was arrested by Police while he was about to board a boat at the Guyana-Suriname “backtrack” crossing at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice.
