Cuban national Yoel Rodriguez Barrientos, who bludgeoned his partner to death with a hammer then slit the throat of her 11-year-old daughter after the child walked in on the killing, was today sentenced to life imprisonment.
Barrientos, 32, appeared before Justice Nicola Pierre at the Demerara High Court, where the sentence was handed down following his confession to the murders of his 34-year-old partner, Tara Krishnaran, and her daughter, Larissa Singh.
In a courtroom filled with grieving family members, the judge recounted the events leading up to the murders, which took place at the pair’s home on Princess Street, Lodge, on 25 December 2020.
The court heard that Barrientos and Krishnaran were involved in an argument that led to a physical altercation. During the incident, Barrientos armed himself with a hammer and inflicted repeated blows to Krishnaran’s head, causing severe disfigurement to her face.
Her 11-year-old daughter then walked into the room and witnessed the scene. Barrientos slit the child’s throat with a knife and struck her head with the hammer.
After the killings, Barrientos fled, prompting the Guyana Police Force to issue a wanted bulletin for his arrest. He was later captured in Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10, hours after investigators received information about his whereabouts.
Justice Pierre sentenced Barrientos to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 35 years for Krishnaran’s murder, and life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 40 years for Singh’s murder. The sentences will run concurrently.
The judge said the convict will receive credit for time spent on remand and will undergo anger management programmes.
Justice Pierre said Barrientos breached a special relationship of trust and responsibility, particularly as the 11-year-old had lived with him as a stepfather, a figure meant to represent safety and protection. She added that Krishnaran was killed not by a stranger on the street but by someone in her own home.
Following the ruling, family members expressed relief while acknowledging that nothing could make up for the lives lost. They described Krishnaran as outgoing and ambitious and shared similar sentiments about Singh.
