Despite his desperate pleas for leniency, 32-year-old Linden Junior Isaacs was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his mother-in-law, whom he stabbed 14 times with an ice pick.

Judge Sandil Kissoon ruled that the convict must be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison before he can apply for parole.

While he was represented by lawyer Ronald Bostwick, Isaacs, formerly of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara (ECD), threw himself at the mercy of the court by pleading guilty to murder, which carries the death penalty.

According to previous reports, the tragic incident occurred on May 11, 2020, around 14.30 pm. Victim Velma Pickering, 56, was at her home in Vryheid’s Lust, ECD, with her three-year-old grandson when Isaacs launched a violent attack inside. The first bedroom of his house.

Isaacs used an ice pick to stab Pickering approximately 14 times. Despite his life-threatening injuries, Pickering managed to escape his home and desperately called for help from neighbors. However, before he could reach safety, he collapsed on a nearby bridge.

Pickering was taken to Georgetown State Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy revealed that the woman died from shock and bleeding caused by multiple stab wounds. Isaacs tried to flee the scene after the attack but was caught by alert citizens who handed him over to the ranks at Sparendaam Police Station.

It was later revealed that Pickering had frequently intervened in her tumultuous relationship with Isaacs, who had been abusing her daughter for more than four years.

Outlining his testimony regarding aggravating factors, the prosecutor, Attorney Delon Fraser, stated, among other things, that Pickering had been deprived of the opportunity to live a full and successful life. He stated that Isaacs stabbed the woman multiple times, especially in the upper abdomen, and then left the scene without offering any assistance.

He also observed that Isaacs showed no remorse for his actions.

According to Fraser, the murder weapon was 10 inches long. Given the seriousness and prevalence of the crime, the prosecutor asked the judge to impose a sentence that would send a strong message to Isaacs and potential criminals, underscoring that such criminal behavior will not be tolerated in society.

Meanwhile, the victim’s family also submitted an impact statement to the court, sharing that they were still having difficulty coping with the loss of their loved one.

Pickering’s son Leon Roberts told the court he and his siblings were devastated by the loss of their mother. “He was our foundation. We turn to him for strength and guidance. We live in anger. “No one should lose their life like this,” he said.

The parole report revealed that Isaacs’ relationship with the now-deceased woman’s daughter had been disrupted by the violence. It was also concluded that she was the product of a broken family and was a victim of abuse in her childhood.
Lawyer Bostwick stated that Isaacs expressed remorse and pleaded guilty, thus saving the court from a long trial, and called on the court to be lenient towards his client.

When Judge Kissoon asked if he had any final words before sentencing, Isaacs turned to Pickering’s children, who were seated in the courtroom, including his former partner, and said: “I am so sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused all of you. I beg your forgiveness; I made a mistake.” .” He later apologized to Judge Kissoon and asked for leniency.

DISGUSTING CRIME

In sentencing, the judge described Pickering’s murder as “heinous” and said it was committed with immeasurable cruelty. He emphasized that the woman was stabbed multiple times, targeting her vital organs. It detailed the long-running intimate partner violence between Isaacs and Pickering’s daughter, highlighting the legal system’s failure to protect victims.

For example, she said Isaacs hit his partner in the head with a hammer while she was pregnant. The judge noted that Pickering ended her relationship with Isaacs because of the abuse her daughter suffered and returned to live with her mother.

He said despite previous reports of harassment by the police, no action was taken. The judge stated that Pickering’s grandchild, now six years old, who witnessed the attack, is still receiving treatment as a result of the severe psychological and physical trauma he suffered.

Judge Kissoon emphasized the importance of imposing harsh sentences to deter such crimes.
Drawing attention to the prevalence of domestic violence-related murders in society, the judge stated that this case justified an indefinite sentence such as life imprisonment.

Judge Kissoon described the situation as a crisis and said: “The prevalence of brutal murders by current and former intimate partners who subject their victims to physical violence, sexual violence and unthinkable cruelty has reached crisis point…”

He described the situation as an epidemic of violence against vulnerable individuals.

Judge Kissoon refused to give Isaacs the usual one-third sentence reduction for his early guilty plea, saying the defense appeared “tactical” given the sheer amount of evidence against him. But he gave Isaacs credit for the time spent in pretrial detention.

In addition to the life sentence, Judge Kissoon ordered Isaacs to attend educational programs to aid in his rehabilitation while in prison.

The judge also ordered him to enroll in programs designed for people convicted of crimes involving intimate partner violence.