Rooplall Abrahim was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the fiery murder of Anita Baichan in 2016, while his accomplice, Madanpaul Gocoul was yesterday sentenced to 19 years in prison by Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Berbice.
The two men were charged in January, 2016, at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court, with murder committed on 49-year-old Baichan at Plantation Hope, West Coast Berbice.
Baichan’s son, who was a victim of the robbery, was one of the nine witnesses who presented evidence to the court on behalf of the state.
According to reports, two bandits who were armed with cutlasses had bound and gagged Baichan in her home at Plantation Hope, before setting the house on fire. Baichan’s son was also bound and gagged, but had managed to escape.
Rooplall was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, while Gocoul was sentenced to 19 years in prison yesterday.
The men were sentenced after they pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter recently.
During Gocoul’s sentencing yesterday, Prosecutor, Abigail Gibbs told the court that the post- mortem examination showed that Baichan died as a result of inhalation of fire fumes while her body was charred.
The court then heard via a probation report presented that the relatives of Baichan were still traumatized over the way the woman met her demise.
Gocoul’s attorney, Ravindra Mohabir, told the court that the accused was at a tender age at the time of the offence and was easily influenced by Abrahim.
He also pointed out that based on the evidence from the son of the deceased it was Abrahim who said to set the house on fire. The attorney added, that his client only intended to rob and had no intention of setting the house on fire.
He also asked that the court take into account the hope of rehabilitation of the accused, the probation report and the prison officer who described his client as an obedient individual along with the time spent in prison and the fact that the accused was remorseful.
Gocoul, before listening to his sentence, pleaded with Justice Reynolds to have mercy. He said, “Sir a beg you for mercy, please forgive me, I won’t do it back sir, I won’t follow back no friends, please sir, I ask for mercy and forgiveness, please Sir I beg you for mercy and forgiveness Sir, please Sir, I beg you Sir”.
Justice Reynolds told the accused that he did not show that same emotion at the time of the murder.
Gocoul continued at this point, “I beg you please sir, I want come out of here sir”. He told the judge that he wanted to be a father and family man outside of prison.
However, Justice Reynolds continued with the sentencing noting that although the accused was not the principal actor in the events which led to the victim’s demise he was still involved in the violence since he broadsided the victim’s son.
He then sentenced the man to 19 years in prison, noting, that it is his hope that the accused benefits from rehabilitation programmes at the prison since he seemed remorseful. “I am not particularly moved by the drama but it would help if you show yourself over the years what you said to me today”.
The accused then told the judge “I won’t do it back sir, I won’t do it”.
