Shaquawn Alleyne, also known as “IsWe,” who earlier this month pleaded guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Shonnette Dover, was on Thursday sentenced to 25 years in prison by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.
Dover was shot to the head and buried in a shallow grave in Alleyne’s backyard at Canvas City, Wismar, Linden, Region Ten, in 2021.
When the matter was called this morning, Alleyne broke down in tears and apologized to Dover’s family, saying he was taking responsibility for his actions and asking for forgiveness.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Kissoon described the killing as a grave and heinous offence, noting the growing prevalence of intimate partner violence. The judge also highlighted that the shooting occurred in the presence of Dover’s younger sister.
In arriving at the sentence, the court considered several aggravating factors, including Alleyne’s failure to seek medical assistance for Dover after the shooting, his decision to bury her in a shallow grave, his involvement of her younger sister in concealing the crime, his efforts to mislead family members and the wider community, and his escape to Suriname to evade justice.
The court started with a base sentence of 35 years and applied reductions for Alleyne’s guilty plea, arriving at a final sentence of 25 years. He will be required to serve the full term before becoming eligible for parole.
Alleyne, who had evaded capture for three years, was arrested by Surinamese authorities in 2024 and handed over to Guyanese law enforcement. Following his arrest, he claimed that the shooting was accidental.
A Preliminary Inquiry (PI) was later conducted by Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool at the Linden Magistrate’s Court. At the conclusion of the PI in March 2025, sufficient evidence was found for Alleyne to stand trial before a judge and jury at the High Court.
According to police reports, Dover’s decomposing body was discovered on April 30, 2021, 28 days after she was reported missing.
