A man who stripped his wife naked and beat her unconscious was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in jail after a jury found him guilty of attempting to murder the woman.
The charge against Ganga Persaud stated that on July 29, 2009, he caused grievous bodily harm to Sumintra Rampersaud with intent to murder her.
He had denied the charge upon indictment.
Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon, who presented the state’s case, had told the court in his opening address that on the day in question, Rampersaud had gone to a Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara location to visit a male friend when the attack occurred. The friend, the court heard, worked as a security guard and was a guard hut in a compound talking with Rampersaud, who was standing outside the gate. The prosecutor said it was during this time that Persaud went up to his wife and began cuffing her to the face, causing her to fall unconscious. Afterward, he sat on her and continued punching her to the face for five minutes.
The court was told that further assaulting his wife, Persaud ripped off all of her clothes, exclaiming to the friend, “This is wah yuh want to see?…”
Dhurjon said Persaud then went across the road and returned with a paling stave measuring 4 ½ ft long and 1 ½ inch wide which he shoved at the back of his wife’s head and then between her legs although it did not penetrate her.
In Persaud’s caution statement, which was tendered into evidence, he admitted to committing the acts, adding therein that he had heard his wife was having an affair with the man. Persaud and his wife had been married for 30 years.
After deliberating for about three hours, jurors returned a proportionate verdict of 10 in favour of a conviction and two dissenting. Before handing down the 15-year prison sentence, Justice Navindra Singh, who presided over the trial, condemned Persaud and reprimanded him for his actions.
For his part, the convict maintained that he did nothing to his wife.
Persaud was indicted for attempted murder, with the charge of felonious wounding in the alternative. The jury, by majority, found him guilty of the former charge.
The state was represented by Dhurjon in association with Narissa Leander, who called three witnesses to the stand. The convict, meanwhile, represented himself.
The case was heard at the High Court in Georgetown.
