High Courts dispose of 57 criminal matters across three counties

Convictions, guilty pleas, and acquittals recorded in Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) announced that a total of 57 criminal matters were disposed of during the June 2025 Criminal Assizes across Guyana’s three counties — Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo.
According to a press release issued by the Chambers of the DPP on October 6, 2025, the Demerara Assizes began on June 3 with 114 cases listed, presided over by Justices Peter Hugh, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, Simone Morris, Damone Young, Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, and Priscilla Chandra-Hanif.

Of the 57 matters concluded, 40 were presented in the High Court, while 17 were nolle prosequi (discontinued) by the DPP. The 40 presented cases included: 17 for murder, seven for attempted murder, five for manslaughter, seven for sexual offences, and one each for wounding with intent, accessory after the fact to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of narcotics for trafficking.

Across the courts, there were five convictions, 16 guilty pleas, 10 formal verdicts of not guilty, nine not-guilty verdicts by jury, and one aborted trial, involving a total of 43 accused persons.

Demerara Assizes

Senior State Counsels Taneisha Saygon, Joy Williams, and Darin Chan completed four matters before Justice Hugh, with two resulting in formal not-guilty verdicts due to the State’s inability to present witnesses or successful no-case submissions. Two other accused were acquitted by jury verdicts.

Before Justice Isaacs-Marcus, prosecutors Praneta Seeraj, Marissa Edwards, and Mtumika Lumumba handled two cases — both ending in acquittals.

Justice Simone Morris presided over 13 cases, including seven murder trials. One murder accused was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole after 25 years, while others received sentences ranging from seven to 24 years for murder and related offences.
Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul handled seven cases, including four for murder and two for attempted murder.

Two murder accused were sentenced to 20 and 25 years respectively, while two others pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received 16-year sentences.

In the Sexual Offences Court, Justice Damone Young oversaw five cases. One accused was sentenced to 12 years for raping a child under 16, two were acquitted, and two complainants withdrew their matters.

Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif presided over nine matters, five of which were for murder. All five accused pleaded guilty, with sentences ranging from eight years and three months to 21 years and six months. Another narcotics trafficking case resulted in a unanimous guilty verdict — marking only the second narcotics conviction before a judge and jury in nearly three decades.

The 17 nolle prosequi matters were withdrawn mainly due to complainants either declining to proceed, passing away, or being untraceable.

Berbice Assizes

The Berbice Criminal Assizes, which had 63 listed cases, saw State Counsel Cecilia Corbin complete six matters, including four murder cases. Three of those accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter, receiving sentences between seven years and six months and 13 years. One co-accused in a separate murder trial was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment, while another was acquitted.

Essequibo Assizes

The Essequibo Assizes, which opened on May 20 with 76 cases listed, saw State Counsels Latifah Elliot and Caressa Henry complete nine cases. One accused was sentenced to 25 years for manslaughter, while others pleaded guilty to lesser offences and received sentences between two and 11 years, or community service in one case.

Between June and September 2025, DPP prosecutors also appeared in 14 appeals before the Court of Appeal involving offences such as murder, manslaughter, sexual offences, and causing death by dangerous driving. Of these, 10 were applications to appeal conviction and sentence, with five ongoing and three varied in sentence.

Upcoming Criminal Assizes

The October 2025 Criminal Assizes will open on Tuesday, October 7, in Demerara with 143 cases listed, followed by Berbice on October 21 with 65 cases, and Essequibo on October 28, also with 65 cases.

The Chambers of the DPP reaffirmed its commitment to advancing justice efficiently, noting that the courts continue to tackle a large caseload with greater speed, consistency, and accountability across the judicial system.