After over seven years on remand for the murder of a reputedly mentally ill man, Omar Bacchus yesterday pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, when he appeared at the Berbice Assizes before Justice Brassington Reynolds. The plea was accepted by the state.
Bacchus had been charged with the murder of Chandradat Hemraj, committed between Saturday, August 30, 2008 and Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at Bloomfield Village, Corentyne.
The prisoner had been admitted to the penitentiary on September 5, 2008, and was committed to stand jury trial on December 21, 2011.
Presenting the case, State Counsel Stacy Goodings said the mentally ill Hemraj called ‘Fish Fry’ or ‘Sunny Boy,’ had been living with his sister Chandrapattie Singh, alias ‘Galsie’ at Bloomfield.
On August 30, 2008, he had left home to attend a Jhandi (Hindu religious function) at Letter Kenny Village. He was later seen around 22:00 hrs by Harenandan Samsarran called ‘Robin’ at a birthday party in Bloomfield.
Samsarran told investigators that he had given ‘Fry Fish’, $1,000 and asked him to go to the Chinese restaurant and purchase two packs of cigarettes. Further, the deceased man was given a bicycle to run the errand.
Sattie Nathoo called ‘Chiney,’ was at her Lot 65 Bloomfield Village home, when she heard a beating sound around 23:00 hrs. She turned on her light and ventured out on her verandah where she saw ‘Bacchus beating ‘Fry Fish’ with a picket.
Nathoo said, ‘I asked him what he beating the man fah, and he responded, shut you mouth, go in your house and turn off you light,’ the prosecutor related.
The following day Nathoo saw bloodstains in front of the accused’s bridge. The very place she had seen him beating Hemraj.
On September 3, 2008, Police Constable Andel Doris, acting on a missing person’s report, went to the back of Nankumar Singh’s yard, where he saw the decomposed body of Hemraj. The body was clad in long blue jeans and a blue brief which was partially pulled down.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Government Forensic Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan revealed that death was as a result of asphyxia, drowning and multiple injuries.
After listening to the facts, Justice Reynolds ordered a probation report and adjourned sentencing and the plea of mitigation to June 28.
The convict is represented by Attorney Perry Gossai.
