A 49-year-old man who launched a violent attack on his wife after she rejected his sexual advances has been sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for attempted murder.
Seon Joseph was sentenced on Wednesday, last, by Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif at the Demerara High Court after pleading guilty to the offence. His guilty plea was accepted by the court in August.
The court heard that the incident occurred on July 31, 2023, after Joseph sought to have sexual intercourse with his wife. She told him that she was not feeling well and refused his advances.
Joseph responded violently, attacking the woman with a cutlass and inflicting serious injuries.
Among the injuries suffered by the victim were an open fracture to the left side of her head, several lacerations and a wound to her neck.
The injuries were sufficiently severe to require hospitalisation and extensive medical treatment.
The woman later told the court through a victim impact statement that the attack continued to affect her physically and psychologically.
She said she still experiences pain and has difficulty standing for long periods. She also described suffering trauma and flashbacks and said the incident had changed the way she relates to men.
According to her statement, she developed a distrust of men following the attack and has been unable to maintain romantic relationships.
The victim urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, saying she continues to live with the consequences of Joseph’s actions and deserves justice.
In determining the sentence, Justice Chandra-Hanif placed considerable emphasis on the seriousness of the violence, the extent of the injuries and the fact that the offence occurred within a domestic relationship.
The judge noted that domestic violence carries particular seriousness because people are entitled to feel safe in their homes and within intimate relationships.
The prosecution had urged the court to consider a sentence between 15 and 20 years, while the defence proposed 10 years.
Justice Chandra-Hanif adopted 16 years as the starting point.
She deducted two years for mitigating factors, bringing the sentence to 14 years, before applying a one-third reduction of four years and eight months for Joseph’s early guilty plea.
His final sentence was therefore nine years and four months.
Among the mitigating factors were Joseph’s lack of previous violent convictions, his remorse and apology, and his conduct after the incident.
The court heard that he went to the police station the following day to provide information.
The judge also considered his personal circumstances, continued employment and participation in rehabilitation programmes.
Joseph will receive credit for time already spent on remand, with the Guyana Prison Service to calculate the remaining period.
Justice Chandra-Hanif also ordered him to participate in programmes addressing violence prevention, conflict resolution and psychological support while serving his sentence.
Joseph was represented by attorney-at-law Tonza Sarrabo, while Nelissa Peterkin and Aleria Heywood appeared for the prosecution.
