A man from Meten-Meer-Zorg has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a fatal stabbing in 2019.

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

Originally charged with capital murder, Ramdin pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, admitting responsibility for the death of 27-year-old Noel Singh on October 20, 2019.

Justice Jo-Anne Barlow, presiding at the Demerara High Court, directed prison authorities to deduct the time an offender spent in remand custody when calculating the overall sentence.

Since October 28, 2019, the offender has been in custody. This direction is consistent with the principle of crediting time spent in custody, ensuring a fair trial.

State prosecutors Praneta Siraj, Mikel Pooran and Rbina Christmas said that at around 6:40 pm on the said date, Ramdeen and Singh became embroiled in a heated argument.

The argument escalated when fisherman Singh struck Ramdin several times with a cutlass.

Ramdeen retaliated by stabbing Singh several times and then pushing him into a gutter near Singh’s house in Plot 33 Meten Meer Zorg.

The knife was in Singh’s pocket. Witnesses found Singh in a gutter and alerted emergency services, but his injuries ultimately proved fatal. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Leonora Cottage Hospital.

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

He later gave a confession to police, detailing his role in the crime. An autopsy confirmed that Singh’s death was due to cardiac perforation resulting from a stab wound.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, defense attorney Mikel Pooran relied on the aggravating circumstances plea he had previously submitted to the court.

A probation officer who interviewed Ramdeen said he expressed remorse for his actions, saying he never intended to cause the victim’s death.

According to the officer, Ramdin claimed that the argument started when he was talking to the woman, after which Singh attacked him with a cutlass. He told the probation officer it was a case of “self-defense.” The probation officer also interviewed residents of the prisoner’s neighborhood, who described him and his siblings as generally well-behaved. However, residents noted that he often drank alcohol and smoked marijuana.

A prison welfare officer said that although Ramdin was described by prison staff as “quiet and docile”, he had previously been found guilty of assaulting a prison officer.

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

Defense lawyer Kiswana Jefford urged the court to show leniency towards her client, noting that Ramdeen had expressed remorse and pleaded guilty, thereby sparing the court a lengthy trial.

She said her client’s guilty plea demonstrates his acceptance of responsibility for his actions. Jefford noted that her client’s young age makes him an ideal candidate for rehabilitation. When Judge Barlow invited him to speak before sentencing, Ramdeen appeared virtually to apologize to both the court and the deceased’s family.

“I ask your honor (the judge). “I beg you,” he shouted.

In her sentencing remarks, the judge noted that the court accepted the guilty plea to the lesser offense because the evidence suggested that Singh’s actions may have provoked Ramdeen.

She stressed that although the maximum penalty for manslaughter is life, 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 crime, the use of sharp weapons, the growing tendency of people to resort to violence to resolve disputes, and the profound impact of Singh’s death on his family.

The judge said evidence suggested Singh was the aggressor and that he may have been under the influence of alcohol as the autopsy report indicated a strong odor of alcohol in his body. Given the above, the judge set the starting point at 18 years.
She then subtracted three years for mitigating factors, reducing the sentence to 15 years. Mitigating factors included Ramdin’s young age, his positive record of probation and prison time, his sincere expression of remorse, and his cooperation with police after his arrest. Of the remaining 15 years, Judge Barlow applied a reduction of one third (five years) to Ramdeen’s early guilty plea, resulting in a final sentence of 10 years.

This period will be further reduced once the prison takes into account the time the offender has spent in custody. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Barlow ordered Ramdin to participate in academic and vocational programs tailored to his needs to assist with his rehabilitation while incarcerated. She also encouraged him to participate in behavior modification programs.

Judge Barlow said the programs were intended to help Ramdeen make a meaningful contribution to society following his release from prison.