Marlon Ganesh, who fatally stabbed his father-in-law Roopnarine Singh after an argument, was yesterday sentenced to 8 years in jail after he was found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
Ganesh had been charged with murder, but the 12-member jury returned a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter after deliberating on the case.
He was sentenced by Justice Dawn Gregory in the High Court based on the jury’s conviction.
When asked if he had anything to say before penalty was imposed on him, a lost-looking Ganesh said nothing but his attorney Hukumchand spoke on his behalf.
Hukumchand said that Singh’s action was what caused Ganesh to commit the crime.
He firmly stated his client acted in self-defence notwithstanding what anyone said.
Justice Gregory then stated that given the fact that the jury found Ganesh guilty of manslaughter, she thinks that the verdict is well supported by the evidence.
She also stated that the circumstances of the case are very unfortunate and from all accounts it was a family misunderstanding.
In handing down sentence, Justice Gregory stated that taking all the issues into consideration, she is sentencing Ganesh to 8 years in prison.
The three and a half years he was incarcerated were also taken into account, Justice Gregory added.
Thirty-three-year-old Ganesh was said to have killed Singh after an argument at the family’s Sophia home in December 2008.
State Counsel Renita Singh’s case was that Ganesh was arguing with his wife, who was Singh’s daughter, on the day of the crime. He was cursing her about her mother when Singh told him not to do so and asked him to leave
his home.
The accused then went into the house to get his clothing and while he was doing so he stabbed Singh.
But Ganesh had told police a different story of how the incident occurred.
According to him, the argument started after Singh accused him of stealing fried chicken and told him to leave the premises.
Ganesh had also said that while he was inside of the house packing his clothes Singh attacked him and he retaliated by stabbing him with a small knife.
Singh died of his injures in January of the next year.
The prosecution had presented the daughter of the deceased as an eyewitness in the trial and the Ganesh’s statement was also admitted as evidence against him.
