Man who fatally stabbed woman 17 times gets 22 years’ imprisonment

Nearly five years after the fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Vanessa Benjamin, a mother of two, the High Court in Berbice has sentenced 29-year-old Jamal Angus of Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, to 22 years’ imprisonment.

Justice Sandil Kissoon handed down the sentence following Angus’ guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter in relation to the April 16, 2020, killing. Angus, who fathered one of Benjamin’s children, had originally been charged with murder.

According to the case file, the incident unfolded at Itacha Village, where Benjamin had been staying at her mother’s home.

Angus went there on the day of the killing in an attempt to convince her to resume their four-year common-law relationship. Benjamin, however, maintained that the relationship was over — a stance Angus refused to accept.

Investigators said Angus armed himself with a knife and attacked Benjamin, inflicting 17 stab wounds.

Her 56-year-old mother was also injured during the ordeal but survived.

Benjamin was later taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. A post-mortem confirmed that the stab wounds had punctured her heart and lungs.

Immediately after the attack, Angus attempted to take his own life but survived and was subsequently taken into custody. He was remanded in 2020 following his first appearance at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court.

During sentencing, Justice Kissoon highlighted multiple aggravating factors, beginning with what he described as a deepening domestic violence crisis across the country.

He referenced the “extreme and unrestrained violence” used in the killing, the use of a deadly weapon, and the injuries inflicted on Benjamin’s mother.

The judge also noted that the act was planned and deliberate, pointing out that Angus unlawfully entered the home, concealed himself, and armed himself before launching the attack. He warned that such crimes have become increasingly common, now “reaching the level of a crisis.”

Reports presented described Angus as a habitual abuser, which further influenced the sentence.

Justice Kissoon also drew attention to the lasting trauma inflicted on Benjamin’s family, particularly her children, who are now left without their mother.