‘Short Boss’ gets life imprisonment for killing legal clerk

Travis Evans called ‘Short Boss’ was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2018 murder of 46-year-old Legal Clerk, Gregory ‘Wayne’ Frank.

Evans, 29, formerly of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was sentenced by Justice Jo Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court; she ordered the convict to serve 25 years before he is eligible for parole.

Last month, Evans confessed to the capital offence which read that between July 31 and August 2, 2018, he murdered Frank in the course or furtherance of a robbery at Kuru Kururu Linden Highway, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

State Prosecutor Praneta Seeraj asked the court to send a strong message to deter like-minded offenders.

Meanwhile, Evan’s attorney, Teriq Mohammed asked the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that his client had a difficult childhood, and is a prime candidate for rehabilitation.

A probation officer told the court that Evans’ troubled childhood include being abandoned by his father and being brought to Guyana from Suriname by his pregnant mother, who later moved to a Caribbean Island.

Apologizing before sentencing, Evans expressed remorse, hoping for forgiveness from the deceased’s relatives.

“I am really, deeply sorry for what I have done. I hope the deceased’s relatives and loved ones can forgive me,” Evans said.

Justice Barlow aimed for a sentence reflecting society’s outcry against such killings, isolating Evans for rehabilitation.

The court directed the Prison Service to provide counselling and rehabilitation measures before Evans’ release.

Given the severity of the crime and prevailing violent trends, Justice Barlow said a life sentence was deemed fitting.

Also, the Judge questioned the sincerity of Evans’ remorse, considering his guilty plea “tactical.”

The News Room had reported that on August 2, 2018, Frank’s body was discovered in the living room of his one-flat home with a swollen forehead.

The rear door to Frank’s home was found ajar and the entire house was ransacked. Valuables were also reported missing from the house.

An autopsy found that Frank died from asphyxiation due to a compression injury to the neck, compounded by blunt trauma to the head.