-fined $90,000
The driver of one of the cars that was involved in the accident at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo on Sunday, in which another driver, 26-year-old Ramesh Sookdeo died, did not have a licence and admitted that he was driving in a dangerous manner.
Romeo Randolph, a farmer of Hog Island, Essequibo River admitted to the two offences as well as driving without insurance and was fined a total of $90,000 with an alternative of 15 months imprisonment when he appeared before Magistrate Fazil Azeez at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
He admitted that last Sunday on the Ruby public road, he drove his car, PLL 5706 in a manner dangerous to the public. He also pleaded guilty to being an unlicensed driver and thereby being in breach of insurance in respect to third party risk. The magistrate fined him $75,000 with an alternative of 12 months imprisonment on the first charge, $15,000 with an alternative of three months imprisonment on the second charge and reprimanded and discharged him on the breach of insurance charge.
Police Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews told the court that at about 1:45 am last Sunday, Rudolph was proceeding west on the southern side of the Ruby Public Road and was going at a fast rate when the driver of PLL 1134 (Sookdeo) overtook his car. He stated that both drivers lost control, turned ‘turtle’ and ended up in a yard. Matthews said that as a result Sookdeo died while damage was done to both the cars and the house. He said that after the matter was reported, Randolph was arrested and charged.
Attorney-at-law Moses Nagamootoo entered an appearance for Randolph. In his submissions, he stated that they are not disputing the facts of the prosecution. “We are not denying that he drove with speed”, he stated. The attorney told the court that his client had purchased the car four months ago and there is no question of him being unable to drive. Nagamootoo stated that the vehicle is licensed and has insurance but his client had not gone in for his licence. He declared that there was no reason to suggest that his client did not want to be licensed. The attorney stated that when the incident occurred, the road was clear and “it appears as if on a clean road, he put it on”. He said that the other car clipped his client’s car and he panicked and swerved off the road. “He did not cause the accident, he was trying to avoid the accident”, counsel declared. Nagamootoo asserted that Randolph suffered injuries and stated that his inexperience did not help him in the end. Randolph told the court that he had gone to pick up a friend and was returning to Parika, when the incident occurred.
After listening, the magistrate imposed the penalties. Sookhdeo, called ‘Jerry,’ of Lot 1 Parika Facade, EBE, was heading home on Sunday when the incident occurred. His car, according to reports, “ripped away” three fences and smashed into the posts of the Ruby home, located along the roadway. He was reportedly thrown from the vehicle and sustained injuries. He was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.