The four murder accused in the 2008 killing of a Canal Number two grandmother were yesterday found not guilty by a mixed jury in the High Court.
Nigel Sookram, Steve Sookdeo, Roy Anthony Sewnarine and Vishal Seecharan were charged with the murder of Budhia, 68, who died while suffocating on a cloth shoved in her mouth during an armed robbery.
After three hours of deliberations, a 12-member jury exited their chamber with a not guilty verdict.
The four men in unsworn statements, had told the court that they were beaten by the police after they were arrested. The men were arrested seven months after the incident. One man was detained prior to their arrest for the murder and robbery.
The men all stated that they were beaten and threatened into signing statements. Sookdeo had admitted to the robbery in his caution statement. He had stated that himself along with “Nigel, Markie and Roy,” planned the robbery.
He said they hired a car at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara and journeyed to Canal Number Two, where they broke into the house, “tied up the old lady” before robbing her and her family of cash and jewellery.
The elderly woman’s daughter Basmattie Rampersaud, had positively identified the four men during the preliminary inquiry in the Magistrate’s Court. However, shortly after the murder, Rampersaud had provided different information to the police.
Her police statement was disclosed to Justice Navindra Singh and the defence counsel at the commencement of the trial a few weeks ago by Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin.
Rampersaud was cross-examined by the defence attorneys during the high court trial about her differing accounts and she stated that she named a certain person because she was afraid.
She said the four men had a gun and had threatened to return and rape her then 13-year-old daughter and kill her.
Number one accused Sookram thanked the court and declared that “God is good!” as he walked out of the courtroom. Number four accused Seecharan, however, was escorted by policemen after he was found not guilty. Seecharan was remanded to prison for another offence—attempted murder which he was committed to stand trial for in the high court.
Before he was led out of the courtroom, Justice Singh told him that he had read his probation report, in which he had admitted to the robbery. “…I know what you did and you know what you did,” Justice Singh said.
“Yes sir,” was all Seecharan replied.
Defence attorney Raymond Alli represented Roy Anthony Sewnarine and Vishal Seecharan. Attorney Huckumchand and Sonia Parag defended the number one and number two accused Nigel Sookram and Steve Sookdeo. Eight witnesses were called to testify in the trial.
