Georgetown, Guyana – Samuel Daniels, a resident of Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, has been sentenced to 16 years and seven months in prison for the 2021 killing of his reputed wife, Shalina Paul, also known as Saskia Pereira or “Chandani.†The sentence was handed down by Justice Nareshwar Harnanan at the High Court in Demerara after Daniels pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The tragic incident occurred on June 23, 2021, at the couple’s residence following a violent altercation over $3,000. According to court records, Paul attempted to escape during the dispute, grabbing a passerby for help, but Daniels restrained her, kicked her, and dragged her back into their yard, threatening her life. Later that evening, police conducting a welfare check discovered Paul’s lifeless body inside the home.
Crime scene investigators found evidence including a broken wooden spindle, a cutlass, and a bottle of rum, all identified by Daniels as weapons used during the attack. A post-mortem examination revealed that Paul died from cerebral hemorrhage due to multiple blunt force injuries to the head, along with several incised wounds.
Justice Harnanan started sentencing from a baseline of 25 years but applied reductions for Daniels’ early guilty plea and time already served, resulting in the final sentence. The case was prosecuted by Preeneta Seeraj, Abiola Lowe, and Mtomika Lumumba, with Adrian Thompson representing Daniels.
