A backdam confrontation that spiralled into deadly violence has ended with a two-year prison sentence for 28-year-old miner Sean Lindore, who admitted to fatally chopping a co-worker during a heated altercation at a mining camp in Sand Hill Backdam, Region Seven.
Lindore, known by several aliases including “Samuel,” “Leather,” and “Tallman,” was initially charged with murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
Recently, High Court Judge Navindra Singh imposed the sentence during a hearing at the Essequibo High Court.
Justice Singh began with a base sentence of 18 years but made significant deductions after considering several mitigating factors: Lindore’s early guilty plea, his expression of genuine remorse, a favourable probation and prison report, and the court’s assessment that the deceased was the aggressor in the incident.
Given that Lindore had been in pre-trial custody since November 2023, his time already spent behind bars will be credited toward his sentence, making him eligible for immediate release.
Representing the State was Prosecutor Caressa Henry, while defence attorney Tonza Sarrabo appeared for Lindore.
The violent confrontation occurred on October 8, 2023, and involved 42-year-old Sherman Phillips, known as “Sunno Sherman” or “Sunno Boy,” who was employed as a miner on a neighbouring dredge.
Both men worked in close proximity at the Sand Hill Backdam operation. On the day of the incident, Phillips reportedly approached Lindore, who worked as a jetman, accusing him of operating too close to his dredge.
Lindore’s laughter provoked Phillips, who then attacked him with a cutlass, inflicting two chops before hurling the weapon at Lindore’s chest. Lindore later told police that Phillips also threw sand in his eyes during the scuffle. In retaliation, he picked up the same cutlass and struck Phillips multiple times.
According to reports, Phillips pleaded for his life, crying out, “Don’t kill me,” to which Lindore responded, “Roll out from there.” Phillips managed to leave the scene despite his injuries.
He was subsequently assisted by another miner, Lawrence Basdeo, and Basdeo’s wife, Indra Singh. The couple assisted in transporting Phillips from the remote backdam to Itaballi Landing and then to the Bartica Regional Hospital.
Due to the severity of his injuries, Phillips was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The case was initially treated as a wounding incident. It was, however, escalated to a homicide after the victim, Phillips, succumbed to his injuries on October 25, 2023.
A post-mortem examination established that Phillips died from septic shock arising from meningitis and bronchopneumonia – two complications arising directly from the several infected wounds he sustained during the attack.
Lindore was arrested by a Police Constable and when confronted with the murder allegation, he reportedly said, “Officer, he [Phillips] first chop me to my hand, finger, then he pelt the cutlass and stick it in my chest, and I take his cutlass and chop him back.”
Lindore was found with wounds to his body.
