Shaquawn Alleyne, called ‘Iswe’, was today sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by Justice Sandil Kissoon for the murder of his girlfriend, 20-year-old Shonette Dover.
Dover was reported missing in April 2021 before investigators uncovered that she had been fatally shot and buried in a shallow grave at Canvas City, Wismar, Linden. Following the killing, Alleyne fled Guyana and remained out of the jurisdiction until he was arrested in Suriname and deported to Guyana to face the charge.
During today’s sentencing hearing, Alleyne apologized to Dover’s family and accepted responsibility for his actions. Breaking down in tears, he told the court that he remembered every detail of what had occurred and said fear had influenced his actions after the shooting.
“I am standing before the court and taking responsibility for my actions,” he said, while offering what he described as a sincere apology to the family. He also asked the court to allow his sentence to serve as a deterrent to others and requested a fair opportunity to one day reintegrate into society.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Kissoon highlighted the prevalence of intimate partner violence and noted that Dover was a young woman whose life was violently cut short. The judge emphasized that she was shot in the head with an unlicensed firearm in the presence of her younger sister and that the accused had no lawful authority to possess the weapon.
The court identified several aggravating factors, including Alleyne’s failure to seek medical attention for Dover after she was shot, his decision to bury her in a shallow grave, his efforts to involve her younger sister in concealing the crime, and his subsequent flight from Guyana. Justice Kissoon said Alleyne’s actions misled both investigators and the victim’s family while causing immense pain and suffering.
A starting point of 37 years and six months imprisonment was adopted. The court also considered Alleyne’s prior brushes with the law. However, a one-third reduction was granted after he entered into a plea agreement with the State.
As a result, Alleyne was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. Justice Kissoon further ruled that no time spent in pre-trial custody will be deducted from the sentence and that Alleyne will not be eligible for parole.
The State was represented by prosecutors Cicela Corbin and Rodley Mathoo.
Alleyne was arrested on 19th January 2024 at Moleson Creek in Corentyne, Berbice, for the murder of Dover, which occurred between 3rd April 2021 and 30th April 2021 at Canvas City Wismar, Linden. He had fled to Suriname and was detained there on January 18, 2024.
During his interrogation at CID headquarters, the police reported Alleyne as saying, “Yes, I wish to state what happened, to say it wasn’t an intentional act, it wasn’t premeditated. Shonette made breakfast. I know it was in April but I can’t remember the date that morning and we were in the living room. I sent her sister for the gun, a .38 Special, because I wanted to clean it because I took Shonette the day before to practice to shoot at the back of Wisroc because some bad boys in Linden wanted to rob me. While cleaning the gun I pulled back the hammer and I did spraying [the gun with] WD 40. Shonette was sitting in a chair and I was in front of her on another chair handle when I pointed the gun and waved it. Shonette told me to stop playing and my finger touches the trigger and the gun went off and I see smoke in the living room and Shonette lying motionless with a wound in her forehead and blood coming out. Me and Colletta [Shonette’s sister] didn’t want the family to feel that pain knowing Shonette was dead [so] me and she came up with a plan not to let anyone know what happened. We then dug a hole and bury Shonette in the backyard and said we would tell everyone she leave for work and hasn’t come home back. I later sold the gun to a man in Linden and I beat out to Suriname, after I heard Shonette’s sister was arrested and charged.”
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