Brothers sentenced for failed 2010 'executions' of two men

TWO brothers already sentenced to hang for the 2010 murder of a Biche farmer have been sentenced for other offences arising out of that killing.

In June, Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas convicted John and Victor Flores at a judge-only trial.

They were sentenced to hang for murdering Seecharan Shankar on May 24, 2010, in the Churuma forest.

They were also found guilty of the attempted murder of Sankar’s brother Doodnath “Anil” Sankar and his cousin Johnny “Rohan” Ramnarine and possession of a shotgun and ammunition.

On Wednesday, each man was sentenced to nine years for attempted murder and eight for gun and ammunition possession. Victor Flores will serve an extra month for the attempted murder of the two men.

St Clair-Douglas started with a sentence of 28 years, but deducted the time they spent in prison before they went on trial. He also said their sentences for the gun and ammunition possession were already spent, as they have served the eight years he imposed.

In sentencing the brothers, St Clair-Douglas said both men were armed with a shotgun, which they used to shoot the three family members.

He also said the two Flores brothers participated equally in the offence and he saw no basis to differentiate between the sentences.

“The shooting of the three was not an unplanned culmination of a chaotic series of events. It was the carrying out of a plan. An intention to kill the moment they accosted them.”

He said the three relatives were each shot as they sat in front of the brothers, who, he said, came to the forest armed and prepared to carry out their plan.

“This was intended to be an execution of the three men. One was successful. The other two were unsuccessful executions. These demonstrated the callous disregard for human life,” the judge said as he sentenced the brothers.