Neil Boodram was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in jail for what Justice Roxane George called the “senseless killing” of Madan Kumar Sahadeo, which was fueled by “drunken foolishness.”
Boodram, 42, was initially indicted for murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which was accepted by the prosecution earlier this month. The court had delayed sentencing until yesterday to facilitate the presentation of a probation report.
The charge against Boodram, called ‘Darshanan Bhagwandin’ and ‘Skerry,’ was that on April 28th, 2013, at Lusignaan, East Coast Demerara, he unlawfully killed Sahadeo.
Relating the facts of the case to the court, Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy said that on the day in question, the two fishermen were arguing at a rum shop, when Boodram took a knife and slashed Sahadeo’s throat.
In mitigation, defence attorney Mark Conway begged the court to consider that his client had taken responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty at the first given opportunity, thereby saving the court considerable time in otherwise having to conduct a trial. He also asked the judge to take into account that Boodram had been incarcerated for close to four years already.
The lawyer also pleaded with Justice George to consider the probation report’s finding that the prison service had said that Boodram’s conduct is of a “good standard” and is reliable.
Counsel noted from the report that prison authorities had said that the defendant was one of the prisoners who could have been “counted on” during the Camp Street prison unrest in March, when a fire claimed the lives of 17 prisoners died.
Conway said that his client was remorseful and wanted to say how sorry he was to the family of the deceased.
When given a chance, Boodram initially began his address to the court by saying he wanted Sahadeo’s family to know that he was very sorry for what had happened. He, however, then started to explain that it was the deceased who had first advanced towards him with a broken bottle and that he in turn retaliated.
This explanation prompted Justice George to point out to Conaway that his client was seemingly been suggesting that he was acting in self defence.
The lawyer briefly consulted with his client, after which the judge asked Boodram whether he was sure about the guilty plea he had entered before the court. The defendant firmly responded in the affirmative.
In her pre-sentence remarks, Justice George highlighted that from the probation report that the defendant was an excessive drinker, who became violent whenever he was drunk. Mention was also made by the judge that persons in the community had expressed fear of Boodram, should he have to return to the neighbourhood.
She upbraided the defendant over his former drunken state, while noting that the “senseless killing” of the deceased was the result of “drunken foolishness.” The judge, in her firm reprimand, said that such cases, which are plaguing the courts, is not a responsibility of the government. The judge sternly advanced that it is each individual who must take responsibility when they decide to consume alcohol, especially if they become violent after drinking.
Justice George noted that the law does not allow a person to escape liability for their actions because of drunkenness. “We each must be responsible for our own acts,” the judge emphasised.
She started the sentence at 25 years. She then deducted two years for the mitigating factors, four years for his guilty plea and four years for the time he has so far spent in prison.
