Akash Singh, also known as “Monkey”, has pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of teenage cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry, bringing the case to the sentencing stage.

Singh, 26, appeared before Justice Gino Persaud and pleaded not guilty to two murder charges but guilty to the alternative manslaughter charges. He is due to be sentenced on November 25.

State Counsel Marisa Edwards appeared for the prosecution, while attorney-at-law Horatio Edmondson represented Singh.

Joel Henry, 18, and Isaiah Henry, 16, were killed in September 2020 after leaving their home in Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice, to pick coconuts in a backdam.

The court heard that the cousins did not return home, prompting relatives to search for them. Their bodies were later found in the backdam with multiple injuries.

According to the facts presented in court, Singh was in the backdam with two other men when they encountered the teenagers. One of the men accused the cousins of stealing cannabis and damaging a cannabis farm before they were attacked with cutlasses.

Singh told investigators he had been threatened by the other men before joining the attack. He was said to have used a cutlass against one of the victims.
After the attack, Singh helped secure the bodies to horses before they were taken to another location, the court heard.

Singh later returned to the area and helped burn the camp and dispose of cutlasses and clothing believed to have been connected to the killings.

During the investigation, Singh gave investigators an audio-video-recorded interview under caution describing his involvement. He later accompanied investigators into the backdam and identified locations relevant to the investigation.

Justice Persaud ordered victim-impact and aggravating-impact statements, along with mitigation submissions from the prosecution and defence, to assist in determining the sentence.

The judge also ordered probation, prison and psychiatric reports, which are due by November 9.

Singh's sentencing follows his testimony in May 2026 as a prosecution witness during the murder trial of Anil Sancharra, known as “Dan Pole” or “Rasta”, and Vinod Gopaul, known as “Magga”.

During cross-examination, Singh denied allegations that police had assaulted him to obtain statements. He alleged instead that Sancharra and Gopaul had encouraged him to falsely accuse investigators of police brutality while they were imprisoned together.

Singh also denied receiving promises or favours from police in exchange for his testimony and maintained that he had witnessed the attack on the cousins.
His testimony formed part of the prosecution's case against Sancharra and Gopaul, who were charged with the September 2020 murders.