A police witness yesterday testified that murder accused Ravindra Paremdass, called ‘Munesh,’ admitted during questioning that he had hit the deceased to his head in retaliation after the man had assaulted him.
Paremdass has denied that he murdered Roopram Jagdeo, called “Lil Baby” and “Ribbit.”
The charge against Paremdass is that he committed the murder between December 20 and 21, 2012, at Providence East Bank Demerara.
In her opening address at the start of the trial, which is being heard by Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court, in Georgetown, Prosecutor Teshanna James-Lake said the accused and Jagdeo were involved in an altercation that caused Jagdeo’s death.
In his testimony, Inspector of Police Philip Bowman, who is a state witness, recalled Paremdass’ admission during questioning.
According to Bowman, he first contacted Paremdass at the Providence Police Station, where he put the allegation to him that he had dealt Jagdeo several blows to his head with a piece of wood, resulting in his death.
Bowman said it was at that point that the accused replied, “Is he lash me first, and I lash he back.”
The witness added that he then cautioned Paremdass, informing him that he was not obliged to say anything unless he wished and that anything he said could be put into writing and admitted in evidence against him.
The court heard further that the accused opted to have what he wanted to say put into writing.
Bowman said Paremdass elected him to write his caution statement, which he did. The witness read the statement in court, which spoke of an altercation between Paremdass and Jagdeo over a bicycle.
The court heard from the statement, which was tendered and admitted into evidence, of Paremdass saying that he was attacked by Jagdeo, who hit with a piece of wood and caused him to lose consciousness.
According to the statement, Paremdass said that after regaining consciousness, he then took the same piece of wood and he in turn hit Jagdeo to his head.
Testifying yesterday also was Jagdeo’s older brother, Lakeram Namdeo, who recalled identifying his brother’s body to pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who later conducted a post-mortem examination.
Bowman testified witnessing the examination and later uplifting the death certificate, which was admitted into evidence.
Asked by defence attorney Sonia Parag whether he observed injuries on the face of the accused when he first saw him, Bowman said he could not remember.
Counsel enquired from Bowman if injuries to her client’s face and hands would not have been something that would have stood out to him as he questioned him.
“If there were visible injuries on his face, I would have seen it, but I can’t remember at this stage,” Bowman responded.
When asked, the witness told counsel he knew that the accused sought medical attention prior to him taking the statement from him and that it related to some injury.
Asked by Parag if he was in charge of the investigation, Bowman answered in the affirmative but said that he had no dealings with the medical.
Ten other state witnesses are to take the stand. The trial continues this morning at 9.
