The High Court has sentenced Dwayne Thomas to five years in prison for the unlawful killing of 28-year-old Brian Pitman, known as “DJ Viper.” This sentence concludes a case originating from a deadly altercation at a social gathering in 2023.
Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh delivered the sentence on Wednesday in the Demerara High Court. The judge began with a benchmark sentence of 20 years but significantly reduced it by taking into account mitigating factors. These included Thomas’s early admission of guilt, positive reports from probation and prison officials, expressions of remorse, and his young age at the time of the offense.
The consideration of these factors resulted in a 15-year reduction, culminating in a custodial sentence of five years, which will also account for the time Thomas has already spent in custody.
Attorneys-at-law Simran Gajraj, Christopher Belfield, and Geneva Wills prosecuted the case, while Thomas was represented by attorney Madan Kissoon. Thomas had initially faced murder charges but admitted to manslaughter.
The court accepted the guilty plea based on an agreed summary of events that occurred on January 8, 2023. During a birthday celebration at a relative’s home in Laluni along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, a confrontation ensued outside the venue. Thomas and several men on motorbikes attacked Omar Bacchus, Pitman’s father-in-law. When Pitman intervened, armed with a piece of wood, he was assaulted by Thomas and two others wielding sharp weapons.
Pitman was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries. A post-mortem examination revealed four deep incised wounds attributed to a sharp, heavy object, with death resulting from hemorrhage and shock.
