Meten-Meer-Zorg man sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatal stabbing in 2019

RAMESH Ramdeen, aka “Braffy”, a 25-year-old fisherman from Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of his fellow villager.

Originally charged with capital murder, Ramdeen accepted responsibility for the death of 27-year-old Noel Singh on October 20, 2019, by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, presiding over the Demerara High Court, instructed prison authorities to subtract the time the offender spent in pre-trial detention when calculating the total sentence.

The criminal had been detained since October 28, 2019. This directive is compatible with the principle of taking into account the time spent in custody and ensures justice in the judicial process.

State prosecutors Praneta Seeraj, Mikel Puran and Rbina Christmas reported that around 6.40pm on the day in question, Ramdeen and Singh were involved in a heated argument.

The argument escalated further when Fisherman Singh hit Ramdeen repeatedly with a knife.

In response, Ramdeen retaliated by repeatedly stabbing Singh before pushing him into a gutter outside his home at Lot 33 Meten-Meer-Zorg.

The knife was in Singh’s pocket. Witnesses notified emergency services when they found Singh in the ditch, but his injuries proved fatal. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Leonora Cottage Hospital.

Ramdeen was arrested two days later in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

He later gave police a confessional statement detailing his role in the crime. Autopsy confirmed that Singh’s death was due to perforation of the heart due to stab wounds.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Lawyer Mikel Puran relied on the aggravating circumstances statement he had previously submitted to the court.

A probation officer who interviewed Ramdeen stated that he never intended to cause the victim’s death and expressed remorse for his actions.

According to the officer’s statement, Ramdeen claimed that the argument started while he was talking to a woman, at which point Singh attacked him with a knife. He told his parole officer it was a case of “self-defense.” The parole officer also interviewed people in the inmate’s neighborhood who described him and his siblings as generally well-behaved. However, local residents stated that he frequently drank alcohol and smoked marijuana.

A prison welfare officer reported that although prison staff described Ramdeen as “quiet and obedient” he had previously been convicted of assaulting a prison officer.

Prosecutor Puran read out the victim impact statement from the deceased’s sister, in which she called for justice for her brother. “I miss my brother so much. I need justice for him. Noel always helped his family. My brother was a very kind, hard-working and loving person…”

Defense Lawyer Kiswana Jefford urged the court to be lenient towards her client, stating that Ramdeen expressed remorse and admitted the crime, thus saving the court from a long trial.

He stated that his client’s admission of guilt showed that he accepted responsibility for his actions. Jefford said his client’s young age made him an excellent candidate for rehabilitation. When Judge Barlow offered him the opportunity to speak before sentencing, Ramdeen apologized virtually to both the court and the deceased’s family.

“Please, your honor (judge). “I’m begging you,” he shouted.

In handing down the sentence, the judge said the court accepted the guilty plea to the lesser offense because the evidence suggested Singh’s actions may have provoked Ramdeen.

He emphasized that although the maximum penalty for manslaughter is life imprisonment, the court will not impose such a sentence because the circumstances of the case do not justify it.

Judge Barlow highlighted several aggravating factors, including the seriousness of the offense, the use of sharp weapons, the increasing propensity for individuals to use violence to resolve disputes and the profound impact Singh’s death had on his family.

The judge stated that the evidence showed that Singh was the aggressor and that he may have been under the influence of alcohol, as the autopsy report stated that there was a strong odor of alcohol in his body. In light of the above, the judge set a starting point of 18 years.
He later reduced the sentence to 15 years due to mitigating circumstances, with a three-year deduction. Mitigating factors included Ramdeen’s young age, positive probation and prison reports, his sincere expression of remorse, and his cooperation with police since his arrest. Judge Barlow imposed a one-third (five-year) reduction for Ramdeen’s early guilty plea from the remaining 15 years, resulting in a final sentence of 10 years.

This sentence will be further reduced when the prison takes into account the time the offender has spent in detention. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Barlow ordered Ramdeen to participate in academic and vocational programs appropriate to his needs to assist in his rehabilitation during his incarceration. He also instructed him to attend behavior modification programs.

Judge Barlow stated that these programs were intended to help ensure that Ramdeen could make a meaningful contribution to society after his release from prison.