Taxi driver Bahadoor Parbatie was yesterday sentenced to a two year jail term after he was found guilty of causing the death of an elderly couple through dangerous driving.
It was the police’s case that on August 28, 2010, on the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara, Parbatie, of 79 New Scheme Diamond, East Bank Demerara, drove his car in a manner dangerous to the public and caused the deaths of Noland and Khairool D’Oliveira.
Prosecutor Shellon Daniels submitted that she had proved that Parbatie was travelling at a dangerous speed and struck down the D’Oliveiras, who at the time returning from a church service.
Before Parbatie’s custodial penalty was handed down by Magistrate Leslie Sobers, attorney Mohan Lall made a submission for $500,000 compensation to be paid to the family of the deceased couple in lieu of the case being pursued against his client. The couple’s relatives, however, refused the sum of money offered by the relatives of Parbatie.
Khairool D’Oliveira called, Lynette, 63, and her husband, Noland D’Oliveira, 70, of Lot 6 Public Road Grove, East Bank Demerara, succumbed to internal and head injuries at the Georgetown Hospital some time after 9 pm on August 28.
They were Jehovah’s Witnesses and had been returning home just after 5 pm after bible study with others at the Friendship Kingdom Hall, when they were struck down.
