Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards sentenced Nandkumar Singh to 36 years imprisonment yesterday for killing two persons, one of whom he once shared a relationship with.
Singh, who stood stony-faced while the sentence was handed down, killed Fieona Persaud, 14, and Surujpaul Stanley, 19, on August 20, 2003. Justice Cummings-Edwards sentenced him to 18 years imprisonment on each count and the sentences will run consecutively. On Monday a jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on both counts.
Bemoaning the fact that his victims were so young, the judge also pointed out that Singh acted recklessly on the day in question by going to the home where his victims were and firing a gun at the house where several persons were at the time.
She also lamented the fact that Persaud was allowed to enter a common-law relationship with Singh when she was just 12 years old.
“This ought not to have been in our society. But the law has taken cognizance and the age of consent is now 16. The Ministry of Human Services has been working in this particular area which is good,” the judge noted.
Prior to being sentenced, the accused had sought the mercy of the court in a plea of mitigation. But Justice Cummings-Edwards said the court has a duty to serve society and she had taken several things into account.
Singh stood in the dock yesterday and apologised to the families of both victims. He said his actions on that day were committed in a state of drunkenness and that he did not intend to kill anyone.
To this, Justice Cummings-Edwards said the apology came a bit too late.
Before Singh rose to speak his counsel James Bond begged the court to show mercy.
Bond said there is need for healing between the families, adding that tension still exists. He said the killings were unfortunate.
According to Bond, his client wanted to clear his conscience before the trial started and plead guilty but the opportunity never came. He said Singh loved Persaud and after losing her he turned to drinking.
“Some persons see justice as punishment but sometimes justice is merciful and the accused is here asking for the court’s mercy. It is true that he took the lives of two young persons but he was young too and rash,” the lawyer said.
But State Prosecutor Judy Latchman told the court that people should not love so much as to kill. She said young men in society need to understand this and urged the court to let the sentence reflect such.
The prosecution had led evidence to show that Singh called “Chow Pakar” of Mahaica journeyed to Enterprise on the day in question to kill Persaud, who had ended a relationship with him, and her new partner, Stanley.
During the trial the jury heard from the prosecution that Singh went to Enterprise and hid in bush near Stanley’s home and upon seeing the couple he opened fire. After shooting the young couple he fled the area but was subsequently caught at Victoria, East Coast Demerara.
In Singh’s defence his lawyer had said his client was never at Enterprise on the alleged day.
He said Singh was at home when police turned up and arrested him. Singh gave an unsworn statement from the dock corroborating this story.
But a caution statement Singh gave to police was admitted into evidence. In the statement he spoke of how hurt he was over the split from Persaud and that he had visited Enterprise prior to the shooting to talk things over with her. She had refused to speak with him and he went away but returned with a gun to shoot her.
In the statement Singh said he did not mean to kill Stanley. He had also referred to Persaud as the woman, “wha mess up me life”.
