PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A High Court judge in Trinidad on Monday said prison authorities would determine whether a former United States soldier should be released immediately, after his sentence for killing a man taunting him over his girlfriend was reduced to 10 years in prison.

Justice Naline Singh said that Kameel Seepersad’s sentence of 23 years’ hard labour was reduced to 10 years’ hard labour for mitigating factors, and his one third guilty plea discount before credit was given for time already served.

He was originally charged with the murder of Rishi Sankar on June 27, 2016. In May, plea deal discussions with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were completed, and Seepersad was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter based on provocation.

After considering his good character, time already spent in prison, and his guilty plea, the judge informed Seepersad that prison authorities would determine whether he would be released immediately.

The court heard that Seepersad confessed to killing Sankar, saying the victim had provoked him. This led to an altercation during which he chopped Sankar and wrapped the body in plastic and disposed of it in a river along with two cutlasses and his clothing.

When confronted by police, Seepersad confessed to the killing after indicating that the man had been taunting him about a relationship with his girlfriend.

He said on the day of the incident, Sankar hit him with a piece of wood before he chopped him.

In his confession, Seepersad said he killed Sankar by the gate and then he wrapped him in polythene, placed him in the trunk of a car and drove to the Manzanilla River on the east coast of Trinidad, where he disposed of the cutlass.

Seepersad also directed officers to the site where he claimed Sankar’s body was dumped. The decomposed body was recovered on July 14, 2016, in Piparo, a village in Central Trinidad, after the police were alerted by hunters. The body was wrapped in a burgundy cloth, bound with a cable cord and plastic bags covering its head and feet. A post-mortem revealed multiple chop wounds to the head, and DNA tests confirmed the remains belonged to Rishi Sankar.

On October 7, 2016, after being cautioned during further questioning, Seepersad expressed remorse. Four days later, he was officially charged with Sankar’s murder.

In a plea of mitigation, Seepersad’s attorneys, Jason Jackson and Krysan Rambert, urged the judge to consider that the offence was not premeditated, nor were others involved, and there was provocation by Sankar. They also submitted that Seepersad was 27 years old at the time and had two children.

They said Seepersad migrated to the US as a teen and at 19, enrolled in the US Army, where he served at the rank of private for four years before resigning and returning to Trinidad.

Justice Singh in sentencing Seepersad noted that he had participated in several programmes in prison and was enrolled to sit the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC examinations. He was also an avid reader while being trained in steel fabricating.

In mitigation, Seepersad also wrote an apology to Sankar’s family, taking responsibility for his actions and asking for their forgiveness.