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A 23-year-old man accused of a fatal stabbing at a Linden party has been found guilty of manslaughter following a High Court trial that concluded on Wednesday.
Keno Lampkin, also known as “Cuz” or “Coues,” of Central Amelia’s Ward, McKenzie, was on trial for the 2023 murder of Kevin Seraphim. After nearly five hours of deliberation, a 12-member jury unanimously acquitted him of murder but returned an 11–1 majority verdict finding him guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The case was heard before Chief Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara.
Prosecutors told the court that on 23 August 2023, Lampkin and Seraphim were among several people attending a party at Speightland, Lower Kara Kara, McKenzie, Linden, when violence erupted.
The court heard that the trouble began after Seraphim’s girlfriend was slapped by another man at the event. In response, Seraphim confronted the individual, striking him with a bottle, which led to a heated argument that quickly escalated into a physical confrontation.
Eyewitnesses testified that the man who slapped the woman was accompanied by a group of men, believed to be associates, and that Lampkin was among them.
During the chaos, Seraphim reportedly armed himself with a bottle and stabbed one of the men, who fell into a nearby culvert. Although the two were separated, the situation intensified when the group allegedly turned on Seraphim, hurling bottles, pieces of wood, and other objects at him.
According to the prosecution, the sustained attack forced Seraphim into the culvert, preventing his escape.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on eyewitness accounts, which placed Lampkin inside the culvert armed with a knife. Witnesses said he stabbed Seraphim during the assault.
Seraphim managed to run out of the culvert but collapsed shortly afterwards. Despite being rushed to hospital, he was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem examination conducted by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh revealed that Seraphim sustained multiple injuries, including a fatal stab wound to the chest.
The report detailed that the wound penetrated the fifth rib, passed through the left lung, and pierced the left ventricle of the heart.
Approximately 1,500 cubic centimetres of blood and clots were found in the chest cavity. The official cause of death was perforation of the heart and lung due to a stab wound to the chest.
Lampkin was arrested on 14 September 2023. When first cautioned, he denied involvement. However, on 16 September 2023, he was positively identified by witnesses during an identification parade. He was formally charged two days later and committed to stand trial on 27 March 2025 after a magistrate found that a prima facie case had been established.
At trial, Lampkin’s attorney, George Thomas, challenged the prosecution’s case, arguing that his client was not present during the incident and had instead assisted in taking an injured person to the Linden Hospital Complex.
In an unsworn statement from the dock, Lampkin shifted his position, admitting that he was present at the party but maintaining that he did not participate in the attack and was merely a witness.
Prosecutors highlighted this inconsistency, noting that it contradicted the defence’s earlier position that he was not at the scene at all.
Lampkin also alleged that he was denied the opportunity to have his attorney or relatives present during the identification parade. However, under cross-examination, it emerged that family members had, in fact, brought items for him to the police station on the same day.
The jury ultimately rejected the murder charge but found that Lampkin bore criminal responsibility for Seraphim’s death, returning a majority verdict of guilty for manslaughter.
Lampkin is scheduled to be sentenced on 20 April 2026.
The prosecution was led by State Counsel Geneva Wills, with assistance from State Counsel Christopher Belfield, both of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The defence was led by attorney George Thomas.
