Former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Captain Orwain Sandy has gone to the Court of Appeal where he is complaining that a life sentence imposed on him for the killing of his reputed wife is excessive. He is asking the court to set aside that sentence, and impose a lesser time.
On August 04, 2020, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon sentenced Sandy to serve life with the possibility of parole after serving 20 years for the unlawful killing of his reputed wife, Reona Payne, whom he shot 14 times with his service revolver. Sandy was initially charged with the woman’s murder, but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
According to reports, the incident occurred between 10:15 hours and 10:45 hours near a Masjid. Sources say that Sandy and Payne were in Payne’s car when the two got into an argument during which Sandy whipped out his firearm and shot the woman, killing her instantly. At the time of the killing, Sandy was Special Assistant to the Chief-of-Staff.
Sandy then drove himself to the Ruimveldt Police Station, where he reported the matter to the police and was taken into custody. Payne was a mother of three; she worked as a Travel Agent at the Muneshwers Travel Service for a number of years. Payne and Sandy were not married but were living together for about three years.
