–brother, cousin jailed for eight years
The two brothers and their cousin, who had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Rameshwar Persaud, were last month handed varying punishments by Justice Winston Patterson.
Rajib Ali, 28, and his cousin, David Jacobs, were each sentenced to eight years imprisonment, while Rajib’s brother, Asif Ali, 26, was placed on probation for a period of three years, when they appeared at the High Court. The men had been charged with killing 45-year-old Persaud on February 5, 2006.
The deceased had shared a common-law relationship with Latchmin Persaud, the mother of Rajib and Asif.
A probation report on the parties involved in the matter was read.
State Prosecutor Kara Duff-Yehuda told this newspaper that the report revealed that Latchmin had been involved in a seven-year relationship with Rameshwar Persaud. Throughout this relationship the woman had suffered abuse.
After the presentation of the probation report, Duff-Yehuda said, three defence witnesses testified. Among them were Latchmin and a former employer of Rajib Ali.
The men’s mother, Duff-Yehuda said, told the court that on the night of the incident Persaud had shown up at her home and threatened to kill her and her children and burn down the house.
Latchmin, according to Duff-Yehuda, testified that Rajib and Asif arrived from work that day and found Persaud in the yard with a container and a piece of wood in his possession. The brothers and Jacobs, Latchmin had explained to the court, subsequently became involved in an altercation with Persaud.
Adding strength to the facts presented in the probation report, Latchmin further informed the court that Persaud was very abusive and she had been forced to make several reports at various police stations but no action had ever been taken against him.
Duff-Yehuda said, Latchmin testified that Persaud had stabbed Rajib several years before the February 5 incident.
Meanwhile, Rajib’s employer said that the man had no record of bad conduct while in his employment.
Duff-Yehuda said she had contended that Persaud died as a result of beatings he sustained at the hands of the Ali brothers and their cousin. In order to escape the beatings, Yehuda stated, Persaud tried to get away but ended up in a trench. He was then caught and taken back into the yard where he was beaten some more and tied up.
After considering the evidence presented to him, Justice Patterson granted Asif his freedom with the condition of probation for a period of three years. Rajib and Jacobs were jailed for eight years.
Attorneys-at-law Hukumchand, Kamini Parag and Sonia Parag represented Rajib, Asif and Jacobs, respectively.
