The 21-year-old man who was found guilty of severing the hand of his former teacher and neighbour has been sentenced to three years in jail.
The sentenced was imposed by Justice B****ington Reynolds after a mixed jury returned a guilty verdict after a trial in the Berbice High court.
The judge deferred sentence until a probation report. The youth was represented by attorney at law, Charrandass Persaud.
Mahatma Dhanraj, of Second Street Number Two village, was found guilty last Thursday of feloniously wounding his former teacher and Heralall Goberdhan on July 6, 2005, at Number Two village, East Canje, Berbice,
The judge had postponed sentenced pending a probation report.
The probation report stated among other things that Mahatma Dhanraj was a product of a broken home and did not have much formal education.
The judge, before passing sentence, admonished the youth for his actions and told him that what he did was a stupid act. He told the accused that he should take the time that he would be away from society to reflect on what he did and that he should make the best use of what ever rehabilitation is made available to him.
You should take responsibility for your actions and the resulting consequences. He also stated that he took into consideration the age of the accused at the time he committed the act and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The case for the prosecution was that on the day in question the two families who were neighbours had a misunderstanding during which, Dhanraj, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident, armed himself with a cutlass and chopped Goberdhan, completely severing his left hand.
The injured man was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted.
Goberdhan who now uses prosthetics had once taught the youngster at the Number Two Primary School and at the time of the incident he had recently completed studies at the University of Guyana.
He was also the headmaster of the Zorg Primary. He is now headmaster of the Betsy Ground primary school in East Canje.
The head master speaking to Kaieteur News after the verdict had stated that he is the sole breadwinner of his family and has to support his wife and his seven children aged seven and 17.
He had stated that after the incident his life had been devastated. At the time of the incident he was headmaster of Zorg (New Forest) primary and had to ride over eight miles to work on his motor cycle.