A Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice tractor operator who was on trial at the High Court in Berbice for the murder of a teen was yesterday sentenced to death by hanging.
The case presented by State Prosecutor, attorney-at-law Dionne Mc Cammon was that on September 20, 2009, Ramesh ‘Bado’ Sahadeo, 45, dealt a single slash with a cutlass to 17-year-old Darshanan Ramanan’s neck, resulting in his death.
After deliberating for over two hours the jury returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty. Justice Brassington Reynolds then read the sentence to Sahadeo.
Defence counsel, Raymond Ali told this newspaper last evening that he intends to appeal the case.
In an unsworn statement from the dock, Sahadeo said he left home around 2:30 pm on the day of the murder to visit a friend, ‘Sweets’ in another section of the village.
He said too that he was on his way home about half hour later and while walking along Middle Dam he saw Ramanan and two other men.
Sahadeo said while passing, he accidently touched Ramanan, of Bush Lot Housing Scheme who told him “I don’t want no leper-man touch me.” He said they started to argue, then ended up in a scuffle and they both fell to the ground.
According to Sahadeo, he overheard one of the men telling Ramanan to inflict a ‘bore’ and chop on him so he got up and ran home. He related to his mother that some boys wanted to kill him. Police later went to his home and arrested and charged him.
Ali stated that his client acted in self-defence and that the killing was an accident. He said too that it was a clear case of “provocation.”
The lawyer said his client was attacked with a brick and that it was Ramanan who had the cutlass. He also noted that the cutlass was never an exhibit in court.
Government Pathologist, Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan in his evidence, gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to an incised wound to the neck.
Also giving evidence were Vishal Dayaram and Sahadeo Jailall who told the court that they had witnessed Sahadeo chopping Ramanan to the neck following an argument.
The eyewitnesses said too that Sahadeo was armed with the cutlass while Ramanan was armed with a brick.
After he was injured, Ramanan started to run in a frantic state up and down the street a few times. He then collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after at the scene.
Reports are that during the argument, Sahadeo had asked Ramanan, “You believe me can’t chop you?” He then dealt him a single chop to his neck and calmly walked away.
