Essequibo resident Suresh Persaud, who beat his wife to death, will serve the next 14 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter before Justice Franklyn Holder at the High Court in Suddie yesterday.
Persaud, called ‘Gye,’ had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder but changed his plea to guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter after Justice Holder admitted his statement to police into evidence at the conclusion of a voir dire (trial within a trial).
In October 2010, Persaud beat Nandranie Narine, 40,with a wood and a grater, after which he inserted a bottle into her vagina. She was found with wounds to the face and head in her Columbia, Essequibo Coast home by her son, Talesh Narine, who had gone to visit her. She was living with Persaud at the time.
Before sentencing, Persaud told the court that he was sorry for what happened and asked for mercy.
“See if a can get a lil small sentence so a can come out a lil early to build a future,” he pleaded with the judge. He also told the court that he had asked God to forgive him and he felt sorry for the woman’s two children, who were left without a mother.
Justice Holder told the accused that he was an evil and wicked man who committed a heinous crime. He then sentenced him to 22 years in prison, but deducted eight years for the time he had been incarcerated, the mitigating plea of his attorney, his guilty plea, which did not waste the court’s time and his plea for leniency.
The state’s case was led by prosecutor Tishana James while Persaud was represented by Latchmie Rahamat.
